Antheia Writes

An: Family dinner.

“You’re not from around here, are you Lucy?” Patricia asked from the kitchen as she made Lucy lunch. 

Lucy turned her head to look at the blonde woman. “Uh no. I’m from Vermont.”

“It’s real pretty there ain’t it?”

Lucy gave an awkward smile and picked at her fingernails. “Yeah, it is.”

Patricia set the plate down in front of Lucy, patting the girl’s shoulder. 

Hershel came back into the room then, carrying pill bottles. “Now, I know you wanted painkillers, but you need antibiotics,” he said as he handed a few pills to Lucy.

“Thanks” she replied before popping them into her mouth. Her leg felt worse than it had the night before, so much so that she could barely limp her way over to the house. Much less go off into the woods alone to find Fran.

Patricia gave Lucy a smile. “Come find me if you want more food dear, I'll be with Beth. ok?”

Lucy nodded and said her praises before taking a big bite of the food. Hershel sat down in the chair next to her. 

“You know,” he started, “if you set up your tent in the main camp you won’t have to walk as much.”

Lucy opened her mouth to protest but Hershel cut her off. “You’ll heal faster that way.”

She sighed before taking another bite. “I’ll think about it.”

Hershel gave her a soft smile. The screen door creaked open, followed by boots thudding softly across the wooden floors. Lucy looked up from her sandwich and met Daryl’s surprised expression. 

“Thought you were leaving,” He said, holding three skinned rabbits in his hands. 

Embarrassment washed over her. She had been so determined last night that she would leave first thing and find Fran.

“My leg is pretty beat up,” she replied. 

“Mhmm” he grunted as he set down the rabbits on the kitchen counter. I told you so, he thought. Hershel made his way over next to Daryl to inspect the game.

“This’ll be a good dinner,” Hershel remarked. “Lucy, maybe you can help cook? It’ll give you something to do where I can keep an eye on you.”

Her head turned to look at the farmer. “Sure Hershel, whatever you need.” If she was going to sit around on the farm while she healed then she was going to help out. Afterall, she was indebted to these people, and she was going to make their generosity worth it. Even if it was only for a few more days. 

For a split second she let her gaze wander over to the hunter. Daryl was looking at her the way he always did, like he was trying to put a puzzle together. Like he was trying to understand her. It made her feel strange. The muscles in his arms tightened as he flexed his hand.

Clearing her throat, Lucy turned her attention back onto her meal. Though she could still feel his gaze on her. Something in her chest tightened, but she ignored it in favor of eating the cucumber slices on her plate. 

The men began talking about hunting and the animal populations. Then they started to talk about the man in the shed. Randall, they said his name was. Lucy kept glancing at them as they talked about how he was healing. She tried to stay out of it, she really did. But she always was too curious for her own good.

“What happened to him?” she butted in.

Daryl snapped his narrowed eyes to her. His gaze was intense, and Lucy felt herself grow restless in it.

“His group fired on Rick, Glenn and myself,” Hershel explained, “He hurt his leg and his group left him behind. So we brought him here.”

Lucy realized then that must’ve been the same night Daryl found her. She remembered seeing Randall brought into the shed when she woke up the next morning. “So what are you doing with him?” “Waitin’,” Daryl stated in a short tone. 

Lucy’s brows pressed together. “For what?”

Hershel looked at Daryl briefly. “When he’s healed Rick is going to take him away. Far from the farm.”

Lucy felt a lump form in her throat. If she didn’t leave, were they going to do the same with her? Drop her off somewhere far away so she couldn’t find her way back. She needed to get off of this farm as fast as possible before it was too late to find Fran. She wouldn’t be able to do it if these people threw her in the middle of nowhere. Which she already was in. 

Sure these people were being kind to her, but she didn’t know them— not really. There was nothing stopping them from deciding she wasn’t worth helping anymore.

She hummed in understanding and stayed quiet while they talked. Ignoring the way her heart couldn’t seem to settle. The uncertainty of her future weighed her down.

In the hot afternoon sun, Daryl was busy fixing one of the fences closest to the house. Rick’s mission to convince Hershel to let them all stay on the farm meant that Daryl and the others had to help out around the farm. He knew that getting the job done was important and that he should focus on it, but his mind kept wandering away from him.

Every time he tried hammering a nail or pulling the wire taut he messed it up when he caught sight of Lucy. She was limping around the farm, moving her tent to the main camp just like Hershel told her to. Long, mousy braids swinging wildly behind her head with each movement. Glenn kept trying to help her, but she shook her head at him. 

Stubborn girl, he thought. 

He couldn’t figure out why she had to be like that. Why when she could barely walk she still refused to let anyone help her. It was a miracle she had even asked Hershel for medicine this morning. 

For the thousandth time he took a deep breath and tried to go back to his task. Hammering away at the fence and baking in the sun, he kept his head down. By some miracle, he was able to finish the job without looking at her again. Did it take longer than it should have? Yes. Was he covered in sweat and dirt? Yes. But he was done. And he was starving. 

The sun had begun to set, which meant that dinner was almost ready. It was the daily routine now that everyone had dinner inside the house with Hershel and his family. Even after Shane almost ruined everything with the barn incident. Hershel was a kind man, Daryl admired that.

Daryl quickly changed into a dry shirt before heading up the porch and into the old farmhouse. It smelled heavenly inside, the spices and cooked rabbit bringing a warmth to him. He’d never admit it, but life on the farm— with the whole group together— it was growing on him. Even if there seemed to be never ending drama in the group. 

At the kitchen counter Lucy was making a salad while Glenn talked her ear off next to her. Something about a fair that his mom used to take him and sisters to every year. 

Maggie poked Glenn in the shoulder, “I don’t think she wants to hear about you throwing up on the rollercoaster right before dinner.” 

He rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. “It’s not that gross.”

Lucy gave Maggie a half smile. “He can tell it, I don’t mind. I’ll probably go outside anyway and get some sleep.”

Beth looked up from where she was setting the table. “You aren’t eating dinner with us?”

Lucy turned around then to face Beth, halting slightly in her movements when she saw Daryl leaning up against the entryway to the dining room. “I- I’m really not hungry.” She ducked her head down before setting the salad on the table. 

Lori and Carl walked in from outside then, and took their seats at the table. 

“Nonsense,” Patricia said. “You’re eating whether you like it or not.”

Lucy looked at Patricia and just nodded. She took a seat next to Carol, with one empty seat on her left. The two women chatted quietly as everyone sat down and made conversation. At the other end of the table, Daryl kept an eye on Lucy, making sure she actually put food on her plate. 

The last person to enter the room was Shane, who had “been on a supply run” with Andrea that day. Daryl immediately saw the way Shane’s face twisted when he saw Lucy at the table. And of course, the only available seat for Shane was the one right next to her. 

Fear ran through Lucy as the bald man took a seat next to her. Arms and legs suddenly like jelly as the rest of her body tensed up. She stayed quiet as a mouse, hoping he wouldn’t notice her or say anything. It was clear from their first meeting he wasn't her biggest fan.

Shane cast a scowl towards Rick, silently communicating his opinions to his friend. Rick narrowed his eyes and took a bite of his food. This was not the time nor the place for one of Shane’s outbursts. He didn’t have to like Lucy, but that didn’t mean he could fly off the handle because she was in the same room as him. 

Daryl turned his gaze away from the problem brewing across the table and listened to the story that Glenn was telling. 

“It wasn’t until the barrel rolls that I barfed all over the place. It flew onto some little girl’s stuffed animal that she won,” Glenn laughed.

Beth made a face at him, “that’s so disgusting!”

But he kept laughing, "I'll never have another corn dog in my life.”

Maggie smiled sweetly at Glenn. Those two idiots were so in love. If the world wasn’t ending Daryl might have thought it was sweet. But with the threat of death all around he couldn’t help but find them dumb. He’d never be caught falling head over heels for someone, especially not in this world. 

“I never really liked corn dogs,” Lori chimed in.

Shane gave her a cocky smirk, “more of a turkey leg kinda girl?”

Rick narrowed his eyes and spoke for Lori, “she likes funnel cake.” 

Daryl rolled his eyes. Were they really trying to see who knew Lori better at the dinner table? What a perfect place to fight over a woman. Daryl didn’t think he knew any woman worth fighting over like this. 

When he looked over by Shane he caught Lucy giving the three stooges a curious look. Like she was starting to understand the strange love triangle that was going on. But then she looked at Daryl for the briefest of moments, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Weird. Clearing his throat he took a bite of his rabbit. 

Hershel shifted the conversation then by telling a story about how he accidentally destroyed a booth at the town fair when he was a teenager. Daryl tried to listen and pay attention. But he felt his attention being pulled away, just like earlier that day while he was fixing the fence. It took all his focus to resist that uncontrollable urge to look down the table. To see Lucy give the tiniest smile, one that would never reach her eyes. Or to make sure that Shane didn’t pick a fight with her.

What the hell is happening to me?

Daryl couldn’t sleep that night. 

He had spent hours staring up at his tent, listening to the sound of crickets. By the time the birds started waking up and singing, he was exhausted. He hadn’t had a full night's sleep in a long time, not even before the dead rose. But it had been worse ever since the apocalypse started. 

With a sigh, he got up and started pulling on clothes. He could probably make a good day of hunting, especially with such an early start. There were a lot of mouths to feed after all. As he buttoned up one of his sleeveless shirts he heard footsteps outside. He gripped his knife tightly and burst out of the tent, ready to attack.

The sky was still dark, too dark for him to be able to see anyone. He squinted his eyes as he walked around camp, trying to discern if it was a walker or just one of the group. But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t see anyone. Shaking off the tension in his shoulders, he stepped back into his tent and finished getting ready.

By the time he stepped out of his tent, crossbow slung over his shoulders, the sky had brightened up. The sun was beginning its slow rise. Dew drops lay on every blade of grass in sight. And the thick fog brought a chill to Daryl. He had noticed that lately the mornings were growing colder. It would be fall soon, he realized. 

As he trudged towards an area of the woods he usually didn’t hunt in he caught sight of someone. Was that who he heard outside his tent? With the fog and the distance he wasn’t able to see who it was, quickly losing sight of them as they walked into the treeline.

Even with all the foliage and animal prints muddying up everything, the tracks were easy to follow. It was clearly not a walker, but the person seemed injured. He wondered if Lucy was limping her way through the woods. Or maybe Randall got out.

Ten minutes into tracking, he noticed a walker’s tracks mix with the person he was following. But soon enough he spotted the walker dead on the forest floor, a makeshift spear stabbed into its eye. 

Whoever was out here was crafty. 

As he worked his way through the woods, he stayed focused and quiet. It was like he could feel the frustration and fear seep through the tracks. They had made three large circles without even realizing. Two more walkers were taken down along the way, but not without a struggle. Daryl inspected each walker carefully. Looking into their rotten mouths for signs of fresh blood and flesh. 

One of them made him pause. It was a man, and he seemed to have turned more recently than other walkers he’d seen. His face was torn up with about a dozen stab wounds– as if whoever took him down poured all their anger into it. 

Before he could think too long he heard more groans and the sound of a woman's voice drifting through the forest. It had only been a couple days of hearing it, but he’d recognize that voice anywhere. Jesus Christ, Lucy, he scolded her in his head. Crossbow raised, Daryl followed her voice, like a moth to a flame. 

He caught sight of Lucy wrestling with a walker. Her knife was close enough to finish the job– and yet she hesitated. A broken sob left her mouth as she struggled with the walker. Her cries echoed through the trees as Daryl realized what was happening.

Keeping his crossbow ready, Daryl stayed back to watch and make sure Lucy did what needed to be done.

Her voice came out broken as she rammed her knife into the walker’s temple. “I’m sorry Fran.”

As the walker– Fran– fell to the ground, Lucy fell with it. Shoulders hunched as she sobbed over her friend’s dead body. Daryl lowered his crossbow. Hidden just out of her sight, Daryl watched over Lucy.

Something in him ached for her. 

She was all alone in this world, no family, no friends. Nothing to go back to. Nothing to hope for– not anymore. 

All she had was a group of strangers who didn’t know her. And she was stuck at a farm she never asked to go to. It was how he felt back at the quarry after they failed to find his brother, Merle. It was how he sometimes still felt now, even though the group had become more trusting and accepting of him. 

He didn’t know how long she stayed like that. Minutes, hours, it all blended together. While she cried the fog rolled around her, beginning to dissipate. Morning sunlight snuck its way through the leaves, lighting up the forest. The dappled light made Lucy’s hair glow golden. Daryl had never noticed her hair do that before. He thought she looked almost like an angel sent to guide Fran away from this world and into the next.

But just as soon as the moment settled over Daryl, it was lost.

A twig snapped somewhere far off, startling her and forcing her eyes off of her dead friend. Her back was turned to Daryl as she looked around, clutching her knife between shaking hands. Daryl looked down for a moment at the matching knife that sat sheathed on his hip, before returning his gaze to her. 

On wobbly legs, she stood up and wiped her eyes. Lucy’s face was red and puffy. Lips swollen from crying. Her eyes were glazed over, and it seemed like she was dazed as she walked off.. Not even noticing Daryl who barely tried to hide from her now. Her legs moved on their own as she limped out of the woods and to the farm. 

Daryl stayed put. He felt like he had witnessed something he shouldn’t have. Like he knew a secret that only Lucy was supposed to know. He fiddled with the crossbow in his hands as he stared at her friend’s body. 

As awful as it was— seeing her friend like that— Daryl wondered if the closure would be better for her in the end. That’s how he felt about Merle. He’d much rather know if his brother was dead right now than wonder every day what happened to him. 

Against his better judgement, Daryl walked over to the walker. There was a wet spot on her shirt from where Lucy had sobbed. A silver ring with the biggest diamond he ever saw sat on her finger. He felt bad for her. Probably didn’t get to have her wedding with the world gone to shit. 

There was a silver bracelet on her wrist, and without thinking Daryl took it off and pocketed it. She wouldn’t need it if she was dead after all. 

As he stood over Fran, he noticed that she didn’t have any bites. At least not ones he could see. But before he could think too much about it two walkers started closing in on him. 

Thwip. Thwip. 

He yanked the bolts out of their heads and continued on through the forest. There was still prey that needed catching after all. The new world doesn’t stop to grieve.

AN: Oh Daryl you sweet boy. He has no idea what's coming

“I’ll call you as soon as I get there… yes just for a week” Lucy said, phone pressed to her ear. She was busy packing up her suitcase full of fancy dresses and shoes. It was at this point that she started to wonder how she was going to fit everything into one suitcase.

“Ok. Well I got to go now. Bye mom… love you too”

When the noise on the other line died, she threw her cell onto her bed. With her hands on her hips, she stared at her disheveled suitcase and groaned. Reluctantly, she grabbed another case and started filling it with some of the overflow. 

Lucy loved her friend Francesca, and was beyond excited to visit, but Fran loved to be extravagant. While Lucy did enjoy parties and getting dressed up, she just didn’t like when the party lasted forever. But, for the next month Lucy would be running around like a headless chicken as Fran’s maid of honor. Years of banked vacation time were going to be used on the most stressful trip of Lucy’s life.

Worst of all, she was stuck flying to Georgia. She had insisted on driving down from Vermont since it would save money. Lucy didn’t mind the drive, really she didn’t. But Fran and her fiance bought Lucy the plane ticket, and that was the end of it. It wasn’t as if Lucy hated flying, it was the before and after that stressed her beyond belief. Packing was awful, and she hated having to pay for a checked bag. But worst of all? The waiting around killed her. She hated the TSA line and the boarding line and how it seemed like it was everyone’s first day on Earth. I mean seriously, how hard is it to walk in a straight line? To not stop in the middle of a packed hallway? Apparently extremely difficult for many people.

Honestly, the whole ordeal was one big headache. Lucy had always known that Fran would marry some wealthy guy and have a big wedding. But it just seemed ridiculous. Maybe if Jared, Fran’s fiance, wasn’t such an ass Lucy would be more onboard with everything. But he was just a giant douchebag. Lucy sighed and tried to remember that it didn’t matter. All that counted was being there for Fran and seeing her friend be happy.

In the morning Lucy was sitting at her gate, coffee in hand. Her two suitcases were stuffed to the brim, zippers threatening to explode at any moment. She had successfully conquered the airport. Radiohead blasted through her hot pink headphones and filled her ears as she absentmindedly sipped her hot latte. 

Around her, people in hazmat suits and paramedics rushed through the airport. Curiously, she paused her music and took out her earbuds so she could hear what was going on. But that didn’t help her make sense of any of it. All she could make out was something about bites. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to worry about it. She had enough on her plate after all.

Before she could think too hard about it, a woman on the intercom announced that her gate was beginning to board. Tucking her ipod into her pocket, Lucy stood up and waited for her group to be called. When the plane took off, the muffled roar of the engines and the view of the clouds helped quiet her mind. 

It’ll all be fine, I can handle this! 

Lucy knew the moment she landed, she would be plunged into the deep end. Fighting her way through the responsibilities and parties might end up being the hardest thing she’d do in her life. Even worse than her master’s thesis.

The first week and a half of Lucy’s time in Georgia had turned out to be smooth sailing. Her maid of honor duties went well, thanks to help from Fran’s parents, Logan and Marsha. The parties were a hit, and Lucy managed to have fun during them as well, even with all the strangers. Plus, a cute groomsman had asked for her number! 

Though she did have blisters on her feet from wearing heels so often. And she did worry that she hadn’t packed enough dresses. But Fran was happy and loving every minute of the celebrations. Everything was going perfectly.

Three weeks later, the world had gone to shit.

It all happened so fast. 

On the news there were stories of freak incidents and people getting sick- but the government wouldn’t say what was happening. Two days later, the police and the military took over the big cities, and tried to establish curfews and checkpoints. Lucy had tried over and over and over again to call her mom, her grandma, but no one answered. And she couldn’t get home because all the airports were shut down. She was stranded in Georgia with no way home.

Lucy did her best to convince Fran and Jared to postpone the wedding until after everything blew over, but they refused. Jared especially despised the way Lucy tried to “boss him around” as he put it. When he and his buddies went out for his bachelor party, he learned his lesson. Jared had gotten bit by one of the dead. By then, everything was a lost cause. Fran was inconsolable and tried to be with Jared as long as she could. But the CDC and the military came and took him away before he died. They wouldn’t even give his body back to have a proper funeral. Fran refused to leave the hotel room and wouldn’t get out of bed. It was only when the hotel kicked everyone out that they left. Fran’s family, Lucy and a few other members of the bridal party fled to Fran’s house.

That was how Lucy ended up with Fran and her family– away from her home and everyone she cared about. She was stuck on the road with her grieving friend, in an unfamiliar place, and with the dead all around. 

On September 9th, Atlanta had been bombed with Napalm, and the world as Lucy knew it was gone. Every day was spent moving around, trying to find supplies. At night they’d take whatever shelter they could find. Nobody knew what they were doing in the wilderness. Fran’s parents were just your average, regular folk. Lucy was too, the extent of her knowledge about surviving in the wilderness came from The Lord of the Rings. And that one summer she spent watching all of Survivor when she was 18 and bored at college. And Fran? Well she was essentially a shell of a person. When she wasn’t sobbing, she was staring off into space, an empty look in her eyes.

About two weeks after they started camping out, Lucy had an idea. When she was a teenager she volunteered at her local library, shelf-reading, cleaning, and helping with random tasks. One thing she remembered was that the library always had snacks and bottled water to give out at programs. According to the map the nearest town was only a mile or two away, and it had a library.

In the morning she told everyone her plan and they headed into town. There were only a couple of the dead, which Logan took out so that the girls didn’t have to. Glass shattered as Lucy smashed in a window and crawled into the library. It took awhile to find where the supplies were stored, but she had been right. There was enough water and food to last them at least a week or two more. By afternoon, their packs were loaded with anything that could serve useful. But the best discovery? Books about survival, camping, hunting, fishing, and even weapons and fighting. 

By the time they left, their spirits were high and for the first time, they all actually believed that they may just survive this thing. Even Fran was in a good mood, which was rare those days.

“You really think we can do this?” she asked Lucy.

Lucy grabbed Fran’s hand in hers. “I do. We’re gonna get through this, I promise”

But deep down, Lucy couldn’t help but blame Fran for this. If she would have just let her drive down for the wedding like she wanted, then Lucy could be home. She should be with her mom, her grandma and the rest of her family and friends. If she was home then she could be waiting all this out at her grandma’s, where they’d have the garden to eat from and the land all around. Instead of taking care of her own family, she was taking care of Fran’s. She tried not to hate Fran for it. After all, how could she have known about the impending apocalypse? But Lucy needed someone to blame for all this, and Fran was her only option. 

Despite her growing resentment for Fran and even her family, she still tried to protect them. Not that, that was saying much though. Even with the instructions in the books she found, Lucy couldn’t do much. They didn’t have enough supplies or weapons to learn anything. All she really could do was start fires and climb trees to get away from the dead, or even to sleep in them if things got really desperate.

But she was trying. Wasn’t that what mattered?

She spent every morning trying to find material to set up snares like she read about in the books. But she didn’t get very far. Logan and Marsha were able to identify wild berries that were safe. And while Jennifer and Reggie– the others in the bridal party they took in– had been good at killing the dead, they had made rash decisions that got them killed early on. Suddenly, it felt like the fate of everyone was resting on Lucy’s weak and wary shoulders, and yet no one was there to take care of her. No one was even trying that hard to survive. It was like they were all waiting to die.

Which they essentially were. Once they ran out of the food they scavenged from the library, they began slowly starving. 

Around sixty days after this all started – at least that’s how many days Lucy thought it was, but she wasn’t sure – Lucy found a pond and Logan helped her craft a makeshift fishing pole. And thank god they did. Because everyone was able to eat dinner. It wasn’t enough to make them feel full, but it was enough to make them grateful. 

Near the pond they made a camp, deciding they’d be staying as long as they could. Logan and Lucy set up spikes carved from fallen branches lined the perimeter of their camp. 

After a week of being at the camp Lucy convinced Fran to help her fish. And although she made it clear that she hated every second, it was good for Fran to do something. They only caught two fish, but the small success felt wonderful. When the sun was starting to set, Fran and Lucy sat together at the fire, smiling and joking for the first time in forever.

“Let’s take a walk,” Fran said, pulling Lucy to her feet.

“Sure, let me just grab my knife.”

Fran pouted, “you don’t need it. We’ll only be gone a minute”

Lucy looked towards her tent and back to Fran, shifting her feet as she debated. Everything felt so uncertain these days, she felt uncertain about everything. The only clear thing was that she had to be there for Fran. 

She shoved down her fear of leaving her knife behind, “Fine. Lead the way”

Fran jumped up and down happily before going to the tree line. For five minutes they walked side by side quietly, just enjoying each other's company. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been so absent,” Fran said quietly.

Lucy sighed, “I know”

“It’s just been so hard without Jared and I-”

A loud boom rang through the woods. Fran didn’t seem to notice, but Lucy froze in place.

“Fran, stop talking.”

“But-”

“Fran!” Lucy’s face was full of fear as she crouched to the ground, looking towards camp. Towards where the sound came from. “It came from camp.”

“So?” Fran didn’t understand what the matter was.

“None of us have guns.”

That seemed to make her understand. Fran’s face went pale as the girls snuck their way towards their camp. Just in time to see five men taking their things. Fran gasped as one of the men shot her mom in the head. Lucy did her best not to cry. 

Unaware of the girls watching them, the men lounged around the fire, as if it was just any other day.

“When are we heading back?” one of them asked.

“In the morning”

 One of the men was rifling through the backpacks and tents. “These people got no food! We’ve got 30 guys at home and no food to bring back.”

“They’re gonna be pissed,” someone else said, the youngest of the group. He was holding Lucy’s ipod in his hands, playing with the hot pink earbuds.

“We’ll find something on the way back.”

The shortest of the men looked around warily, a nasally accent as he spoke. “I don’t know about this you guys. Feels like someone’s watchin’ us.”

A bald man next to him got up and started pacing around the tree line, inspecting the bushes. 

In a twist of bad luck, Fran sneezed, blowing their cover.

“Some escaped! Let’s get em!”

 Blood drummed in Lucy’s ears as she yanked Fran to get her up and running behind her. Trees blurred as they ran, trying to get away from the men and the bullets that whizzed by. They passed the pond and heard one of the men trip and fall in. One less to worry about. 

It wasn’t until the sun started rising that they lost the men and were able to slow down. With a thud, Lucy collapsed on the ground, chest facing the sky. Her lungs burned and her heart felt as though it was going to burst. She had never run so much in her life, and it was evident. To her left, Fran slumped against a tree branch, sobbing into her hands. 

Twigs snapping broke them out of their exhausted state, adrenaline giving them the will to get up. Seemingly from nowhere, a dead one was inching towards them. It’s rotted mouth growling with hunger.

Lucy reached for her knife, but remembered that she never grabbed it. She was defenseless, tired and desperate. Searching around, she found a sharp stick and plunged it into the dead’s eye. It’s blood splattered all over her face and clothes as it dropped to the ground. Her hand was shaking as she white knuckled the stick. 

“Are you ok?” Fran asked, pulling Lucy into a hug.

Lucy nodded, and fought back the nausea she felt.

“What are we going to do?”

The girls looked around the forest. They were lost, no clue where they were or how to get back to camp. 

“We have to keep going.”

“Can’t we go back?” “And walk right into those guys? So they can kill us too?”

With a frown, Fran walked away from Lucy. “I have to go back. I have to see them.”

Lucy grabbed Fran’s wrist, stopping her from getting far. “We can’t. Don’t you get it? We’ll die if we go back there!”

“Maybe that’s for the best.” Fran said, almost a whisper.

Lucy knitted her brows together, a pang hitting her heart. “How could you say that?”

Fran’s face crumpled, and suddenly she looked so much younger. Just like the seven year old version of herself that tapped Lucy on the shoulder in recess and asked to be her friend. “Because I’m alone! We’re alone! I’ve lost everyone.”

As tears streaked down Fran’s face, Lucy couldn’t help but get angry. “You’re not the only one who’s lost people! I’m stuck in this god awful state and I don’t even know what happened to my family!”

“Well sorry that you’re stuck here with me!” Fran shouted.

Lucy scoffed. “You’re so ungrateful, do you know that? We’ve all been keeping you alive this whole time! I- I’m trying to keep you alive now!”

“Nobody asked you for that!”

Lucy shook her head and started walking off. “Then have fun by yourself!” She wiped away her own tears, which were mixing with the blood spattered on her cheeks.

“Where are you going?” Fran shouted, voice meek and cracking.

Lucy stayed quiet. She didn't have a clue, but she just needed to get away. If Fran followed or stayed behind, she didn’t care. 

For the next day, Lucy wandered aimlessly through the woods, unsure of where she was going. She killed three more of the dead, and felt like puking after each one. When she stopped near a small creek she heard footsteps behind her. 

“Lucy?” Fran’s voice cut through the sounds of the babbling water. 

“What do you want Fran?”

Fran sat down next to Lucy, her eyes bloodshot and wide with fear. “They’re here.”

With a confused look, Lucy asked, “who?”

“Those men.”

A deep breath filled Lucy’s lungs as she tried not to let fear take over. But the panic was already settling in. She looked around, trying to find a hiding spot. “There” she pointed. Roots, and dirt had created a spot that they could take cover in. 

In the dark, small cave, the water was up to their hips. Above them they could hear pounding footsteps as two people ran by. When the sound faded, they slowly exited the cave and got out of the water, crossing to the other side of the woods. 

“Do you think we lost them?” Fran whispered.

But before Lucy could answer, she spotted the men running towards them. 

“Run!”

They took off, trying to stick together. But behind Lucy one of the men tackled Fran, bringing her to the ground. “Lucy! Go!” she screamed in between cries. Lucy cursed as she kept going, trying to outrun the remaining man. The sun was starting to set, a breeze cut through the heat of summer. It could have been a peaceful evening. But instead, she was scared for her life. As her heartbeat thumped in her ear and drowned out all other noise, she saw the trees around her splinter at the impact of bullets. Just as she tried zigzagging to throw off the guy a sharp pain hit her leg, sending her plummeting to the ground. 

She cried out in pain, as she twisted around to lie on her back. Her leg felt like it was on fire as she moved, making it hard to get away. In an instant the man was on top of her, dragging her towards him. Her head was pounding, and the scene began playing out in the third person. With a crack, she saw herself punch the man in the face. But his hand on her neck made the world go dark and fuzzy. The sound of laughter and shouting swirled around her before everything went quiet.

“Can you people just let me go? I have to find my friend” Lucy said as she tried to step away from Daryl and Rick.

“Now hold on” Rick held up a hand. “We aren’t holding you hostage”

“Your buddy there sure seems to think you are” She retorted, giving Shane a poisonous look.

“Just tell us what happened so we know if there’s a threat to us.”

Lucy inspected the men. All of them were strong, muscular and well fed. In fact, everyone at this farm was well fed. Meanwhile she’d go days at a time without food. Her stomach growled at the thought of having a warm, filling dinner.

“Feed me and I’ll tell you.” She saw Daryl smirk from the corner of her eye as Rick chuckled.

“Fine,” he said. “But you don’t go anywhere near the house. You stay outside. Got it”

Lucy nodded. 

“Find a spot to set up camp” Daryl said, “one of the girls’ll bring ya food.”

“Thanks,” Lucy said quietly, earning a subtle nod from the man. She watched him intently as he walked away. He had been so ready to jump in and help her, and she was grateful. But she still didn’t trust him either, nor did she trust anyone in his group. 

After a minute she limped away, trying to find a spot to camp at. Far away from the group and from Daryl’s camp where she woke up, she found a big tree. She slumped against the base, exhausted from her injuries and the stress of dealing with people. Up above, the wind blew through the leaves of the tree, and she let herself get lost in the movement and the sound.

Closing her eyes and focusing on the quiet noise felt like heaven for her head. It had been killing her since she woke up, more than any regular headache ever had. She had a fuzzy memory of falling down, and hitting a rock. Daryl’s voice echoed through her head, “You’re concussed.” She couldn’t pin down when he had told her that. All the vague memories of that day buzzed around, confusing her.

“Hey Lucy. Wake up.” Someone shook her shoulders, and Lucy shot up, heart racing as her brain caught up with her reality. How long was I sleeping?

“It's ok, you’re safe,” said an older woman with short hair. Her voice and presence was kind. For the first time since she got here, Lucy thought that maybe someone was trustworthy. But still, she kept her walls up.

“I’m sure you’re starving. I brought you something to eat” The woman handed Lucy a plate. On it were vegetables, rice, and even chicken. It was the most wonderful thing that Lucy had ever seen in her life. She immediately started eating, mouth salivating and savoring the taste.

“Slow down or you’ll get sick.”

Lucy froze as she was about to shovel another forkful into her mouth. “Right,” she said, feeling foolish. “Thank you.”

The woman smiled softly. “Mhmm.”

“What’s your name?” Lucy asked, remembering her manners.

“Carol” she said as she sat down next to Lucy, handing her a water bottle and some pills. “These will help with the concussion and the wound. Come by later and Hershel can change your bandages.”

“Who’s Hershel?”

“He owns the farm.”

Lucy nodded. “Thanks… but Rick said I’m not allowed near the house:”

Carol chuckled, but it wasn’t truly happy. Everything about the woman was laced with deep pain. “It’s Hershel’s house, and he’s the one who said you should go see him”

“Right.” Lucy took another bite of food. “I take it you’re not just here to bring me food.”

“Smart girl. Rick thought it best if I talked to you about what happened.”

With shaking hands, Lucy took a sip of water as well as the pills that Carol had given her. She set her empty plate on the grass and tucked her knees into her chest. For a moment she thought about what exactly she should share with Carol, and with these people. She didn’t know them, and she didn’t want to stay here. But after everything that happened, she didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go. Silently vowing to only share what was necessary, she took a deep breath.

“I’ve been with my friend, Francesca, and her family since this whole thing started. We’ve been doing our best to survive. We set up a permanent camp about a week ago, and it was going well” Lucy swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to blink back tears. “But this um.. group of guys, maybe four or five of them. They– they robbed us and killed everyone. Except me… and Fran.”

“Where is she now? Francesca?”

Lucy turned away from Carol and set her head on her knees, eyes fixed on the setting sun. “I don’t know. A couple of guys chased us for about two days but they caught up to us. They took Fran.”

“Is that who you were running from? One of those men?”

Lucy nodded and wiped away a tear. “Yeah”

“Why don’t you come inside with me? Get your bandage cleaned up. Maybe even get some clean clothes.”

“Sure. I’ll catch up with you” Lucy lied. 

Carol gave her a pitiful smile before taking her empty plate and returning towards the house. When she was gone from sight, Lucy got to work on settling in for the night. She dug a small hole in the ground and grabbed dried leaves and twigs that had fallen from the tree to use as kindling. In her pocket was her trusty match box- the only possession she had left. The leaves ignited, and soon the small fire had roared to life. She laid down in front of it and did her best to shut out the racing thoughts in her mind.

Shane paced back and forth angrily as he watched Carol bring in the empty plate of food to the house. Rick and Daryl stood next to him, with Dale not far away.

“So now we’re feeding two extra mouths with this Randall kid and Lucy? What’s next we host a cookout and invite the whole town?”

“Shane just stop,” Rick scolded. “At least wait to judge until after Carol tells us what she said.”

Daryl glared at Shane before turning to gaze at the tree that Lucy had gone to.

“I just think we need to think this through.” Shane rubbed the top of his head. 

Dale stepped closer now, joining into the conversation “What is there to think through? She needs our help.”

“We can’t just let everyone join us!” Shane glared at Dale, “It’s dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Daryl scoffed. “She’s what you call dangerous? She ain’t got no weapons and she’s starving. You’re a bigger jackass than I thought.”

Before Shane could retaliate Carol came out of the house and walked towards the men.

“So?” Rick inquired, “What did she say?”

“Five men attacked the camp her group was at. I think she’s the only survivor”

“You think?” Daryl asked.

“She said her friend escaped with her and that they were on the run for two days. Fran, her friend, got caught by the men… she doesn’t know what happened to her.” Carol pressed her lips together into a tight frown.

Rick tilted his head, “and the rest of her group was killed?”

Carol nodded.

Daryl felt his stomach clench at hearing what happened. This group had been through a lot together. From walker attacks, to the CDC, to losing Sophia. But they had never had their camp threatened by other people, not like that.

“She should join us,” Dale reasoned. “She’s all alone, and she seems smart-.”

“She’s a con artist is what she is. Got a whole meal out of us.” Shane sneered. “I say we ditch her along with Randall. They can live out their short lives together.” He pointed towards the road as he spoke.

“Randall and his men attacked us. She didn’t” Rick sighed, voice deep with frustration.

“She attacked me!” Shane tapped his finger angrily into his own chest.

Daryl stepped closer to Shane, shooting him a venomous look. “You put her in a chokehold.” Dale cut in, “It’s not her fault.”

Shane cocked his head. “You’re right, it’s not. It’s your fault.” He poked a finger into Daryl’s chest, emphasizing the word your.

Daryl glared at the bald man. “Do that again and you won’t have a finger.”

Rick put a hand on Shane’s shoulder, easing the man’s anger. “I think we should let her decide.”

Dale nodded his head. “I agree.”

Shane puffed out a breath of air and looked at Daryl. “Let me tell you something. If she stays, she’s your responsibility. Don’t expect any of us to go out of our way to help her”

Rick rolled his eyes. But Daryl just froze. She’s your responsibility. The words, which were said with disdain, rang around his head. He looked to the ground and back to Shane before giving the man a small nod. Daryl walked off, despite the protests of Rick and Dale to wait. 

By the time he had reached the tree that Lucy was under, the sky was dark and full of stars. The fire she had made was still alive and crackling. She was curled up next to it, chest rising and falling softly as she slept. Daryl let out a heavy sigh as he watched her. He felt like he had gotten himself and Lucy into a ridiculous mess with Shane. The poor girl was going to die for Christ's sake! What was Daryl supposed to do? He knew Shane wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving her to get raped and killed by that man. A chill went through Daryl. Shane had always been a hot head. But ever since Rick joined the group, Shane had become callous and cruel.          

Daryl shook the thought away as he walked around Lucy’s camp, if you could even call it that. She had no real shelter, just the tree above her. But he couldn’t really blame her for that. If what Carol said was true, then Lucy left everything behind to escape. The only thing she had was her life. But without some coverage, or even a tent she was left open to any and all danger. Besides, she wouldn’t be able to run very far or fast with the gunshot wound in her leg.

Shane’s words popped up again. How she was his responsibility. To Daryl, that seemed ridiculous. He wasn’t responsible for anyone but himself. But he did bring her here, and he patched her up. She hadn’t asked for any of that, he decided it for her. So yeah, he was responsible for what happened to her now- and that rattled him. It felt strange.

With a sigh, he sat down in front of the fire, across from Lucy. He watched the crackle of the flames for a few minutes until she started to stir. Her chest began rising and falling rapidly and her head tossed around. Images of the dead members of her group, of getting shot, and of Shane’s hand around her neck coursed through her dreams. The memories only stopped when she shot awake, heart racing and breath caught in her throat. 

Daryl’s voice snapped her back to reality. “Y’alright?”

“Yeah,” she let out a shaky breath, “you uh- you stalking me or something?”

He lit a cigarette and took a puff. “Something like that.” 

Lucy frowned. 

“Want a smoke?” His eyes raked over her form.

“No.”

He turned away from her, eyes looking up towards the stars. Lucy’s eyes narrowed as she inspected him. “Did that Shane guy send you? Make sure I don’t cause trouble?”

Daryl shook his head, “nah.”

She nodded and started playing with a blade of grass.

“S’nice camp” he mocked.

Lucy glared at him, prompting the man to raise his hands in surrender.

He cleared his throat. “So you gonna stay with our group?”

She shook her head, "I'm leaving in the morning.”

“Where ya goin’?” Another cloud left Daryl’s mouth. Smoke mixing in with the night sky and the twinkling stars.

“To find my friend.” Lucy stood up and paced around. She felt antsy under his gaze. It was like he could pick her apart, and find every weakness with just his eyes.

His brows knitted together as he flicked ash off his cigarette. 

Lucy gave him an annoyed look. “What?”

“Nothin’,” he grunted.

“Why are you over here anyway?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Look, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but I have to find my friend. And you’re kind of messing with my sleep.” 

Daryl let out a puff of air in amusement, “ok.”

Lucy brought her hands to her hips, with a scowl now painting her face. “What’s so funny?”

“Just don’t think you’ll get very far s'all."

She tilted her head, subtly challenging the man. “And what makes you say that?”

“You’ve got no weapons, ya obviously can’t fight and you’re hurt.”

Lucy scoffed. “I’ll be just fine.”

“Yeah? You can’t even walk without wincin’.”

Daryl felt himself smile slightly as she glared at him. There was a fire in her eyes that made him think she could be dangerous, a real threat, if she learned how to survive.

Her voice was raised and irritated. “What’s it matter to you? You don’t even know me.”

“I don’t. But I ain’t save you so you could run off and get killed right away.”

At the mention of his actions, the words she had prepared died on her lips. Her face softened into a frown instead of the scorn that was just present. Defeatedly, she sat back down in front of the fire, bringing her knees into her chest.

“Thanks by the way,” her voice soft and full of emotion as she said it.

He shook his head and smushed his cigarette butt into the ground, “don’t worry about it.”

For a moment, the two of them just looked at one another. Each with an unreadable expression. Lucy was the first to look away, only doing so after she felt a heat creep up her neck.

“Go see Hershel, he’s waiting for you,” he nodded towards the house.

When she looked at him again he couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. There was a deep rooted exhaustion, and sadness about her. He wondered if she would have kept fighting if she wasn’t so motivated to find her friend. If she didn’t have that purpose, would she really go it alone? For reasons he couldn’t understand, she actually listened to him and made her way to the house. Leaving him to sit alone in silence, only his thoughts and the fire to keep him company.

When Lucy made it to the house there was a brunette with a short bob sitting on the porch. Lucy stopped awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs, feeling trapped in the vast farm.

“Are you Lucy?” She asked, accent thick and sweet like honey.

“Yeah… I’m here to see Hershel.”

The brunette stood from her chair. “He’s waitin’ inside.”

Lucy nodded and followed the woman. Inside, the house was clean, and normal– nothing at all like the violent and harsh world outside. Mesmerized by the soft white curtains that moved with the wind, she felt out of place. The more time she spent with these people, the more she felt like she shouldn’t be there. 

In a small bedroom an old man was sorting through medical supplies. At the sound of footsteps, he turned around to face the two women.

“I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” the man said, “I’m Hershel, this is Maggie.”

Lucy glanced at Maggie before looking at Hershel. “I’m Lucy, thanks for offering to take a look. And for letting me hang around the farm.”

“It’s no problem. Sit here and let me look at your leg.” He said, gesturing towards a chair.

Lucy obliged and let the man and his daughter get to work. She couldn’t help but wince as he took off the old, blood stained bandage from her leg. The wood of the chair creaked as she white knuckled the armrest, needing something to ground her. 

“Daryl says you were shot?” Hershel questioned.

Lucy nodded, catching Maggie’s concerned stare from the corner of her vision. “Yeah.” 

Hershel worked on disinfecting the wound, which was leaking pus and blood. “You’re lucky it's just a graze. But it is infected.”

Lucy nodded and tried not to cry at the stinging of alcohol on her wound. 

Maggie looked up from the wound to her father. “He said she has a concussion too.”

“Right,” Hershel remembered.

“Fell pretty hard,” Lucy muttered, trying to make her voice come out in a light and easy tone, but failing.

She got no reply from the pair, who were radiating with sadness. She remembered that Carol was the same way earlier. It was like Lucy had stumbled into the middle of a tragedy and didn’t know. Though she was curious to know what happened, to be privy to the secrets of this hostile and broken group, she knew it wasn’t her place. Lucy stayed quiet as they finished cleaning the wound and gave her painkillers.

Lucy was grateful when Hershel suggested she get cleaned up in the bathroom. As she stepped into it, with Maggie’s old clothes in her hand, she couldn’t help but pretend everything was normal. That is, until she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. 

Her face was covered in dirt and spattered blood. She wondered what her mom would say if she saw her like this. Knots ruled her hair, and her eyes were dark with exhaustion. Though the new gauntness to her cheeks had to have been the worst part. Running around constantly on barely any food meant she had lost weight. But weeks without a mirror meant she didn’t know how much. She looked almost like a corpse, she thought. No wonder these people pitied her so much.

Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat. It was foolish to get caught up worrying about her appearance, she knew that. There was nothing that truly mattered anymore besides surviving. But still, as she cleaned the grime from her body, she couldn’t help but think about her state. Couldn’t help but think how unlike herself she looked and felt.

Her now untangled hair was put into two thick braids. Bangs falling into her eyes even though she tried pushing them away. After getting scissors from Maggie, she trimmed her side bangs back to the length she liked. Like she’d done so many times before. She never could be bothered to go to the hair salon just to get her bangs trimmed.

When she was done, she studied herself in the mirror again. Trying to magically transform into the girl she used to be. The one whose only worry was about finishing her book soon, or helping her grandma in the garden. Not the girl who was slowly starving.

In the cool, night air, she walked back to where she made camp. Under the tree, the fire was barely burning, but that wasn’t what she focused on. Instead, she focused on the makeshift tent that had been set up. With a few sturdy branches, cord, rocks and a tarp, someone had built her a shelter to sleep in. A small smile crept on her lips without even realizing.

Unconsciously, she glanced over to where Daryl’s camp was, wondering if he had done it. He seemed to be the only person going out of his way to help her. Everyone else mostly ignored her unless Daryl had asked them to do something for her. Not that she minded though, she would be leaving this place and these people as soon as she healed. She didn’t need them fussing over her.

Exhaustion hit like a train once her brain realized she had a real shelter. Eagerly, she stepped into the tent. There was even a sleeping bag laid down for her. Sat next to it was the knife she had stolen from Daryl’s camp earlier. She crawled into the sleeping bag, and settled in.

Daryl was beyond pissed. All of the time he had spent searching for Sophia had been a waste. The whole time she had been right under his nose, locked up in that barn. He hadn’t found her in time, hadn’t saved her. It was his fault that she had gotten bit, that Carol had to watch as her baby girl got put down that way. This whole farm business was ridiculous to him, he didn’t want to deal with psychos like Hershel who kept walkers in his barn– ready to get out at any moment. And now Hershel was gone, running away to hide from the disaster. Rick and Glenn went after him a while ago, probably failing to convince him.

To make matters worse, little miss love triangle was walking right over to where he sat. Couldn’t he get any privacy around here? There was a reason he stayed away from them all, but they all seemed too dumb to grasp that. Daryl didn’t acknowledge her as she approached, hoping she’d give up.

“Listen, Beth’s in some kind of catatonic shock. We need Hershel” Lori ordered.

“Yeah, so what”

Lori squatted next to him. “So, I need you to run into town real quick and bring him and Rick back.” The way she said it pissed him off further, laced with attitude as if it was so obvious that this was Daryl’s responsibility. He glared at her but said nothing, just continued to sharpen a stick he had found.

“Daryl?”

He matched her tone. “Your bitch went window-shopping. You want him? Fetch him yourself. I got better things to do.”

Her eyes narrowed and her voice shifted from bossy to accusatory. “What's the matter with you? Why would you be so selfish”

“Selfish?” he scoffed, rising to his feet. “Listen t’me, Olive Oyl. I was out there lookin’ for that little girl every single day. I took a bullet and an arrow in the process.” His voice was raised, and he waved his knife around as he argued. He didn’t do it as a threat, just out of anger.  “Don't you tell me I ain’t been gettin’ my hands dirty! You want those two idiots? Have a nice ride. I'm done lookin’ for people.” By the time he was done ranting he sat back down, continuing his work on the stick. Lori stared at him for a moment before she walked away, defeated and annoyed. 

He tried to keep working and push away the foul mood she put him in, but he couldn’t.

“Ridiculous” he mumbled to himself as he got up towards his camp. 

When he reached it, he grabbed his crossbow, some knives and whatever else he needed to go hunting. Sure, it was getting dark soon, but he didn’t care. He needed to do something to clear his head. The woods had been his sanctuary for as long as he could remember. Hunting kept him fed when his parents or Merle didn’t, and it gave him an escape from them too. A respite from the abuse he faced at home. Even with the threat of walkers lurking in the trees, the woods were a comfort. Fighting walkers seemed easier than dealing with everyone at the farm. Their drama was so stupid and nonsensical. 

Rick was a blind idiot who couldn’t see what was going on right in front of him. Shane was slowly going psycho after he killed Otis– which Daryl knew he did with that bullshit story. The whole Lori business only made Shane fall further into insanity. And he didn’t even want to think about all the other stupid problems everyone else had. Much less his own struggles.

He devoted his entire attention to hunting and tracking his prey. His mood improved slightly as he tuned out his own brain. Before long he had a couple of squirrels and even a rabbit tied on his rope. He felt pleased that he caught them in such a short amount of time. When he reached the creek he sat down to take a break. By his calculations he only had an hour or so of sunlight left, so it was best if he turned back sooner than later. But he had to stop, just for a moment. His side and head still ached from the day he fell looking for Sophia. The soreness he felt every time he lifted his bow was another reminder of how he failed her. How he failed Carol.

After a minute of staring at the rushing water, he got up and started heading back to his camp. But a distant scream stopped him in his tracks. It didn't sound like an animal or a walker, which meant it was a person. Great, someone else who’d beg for his help. He picked up his steps again, getting only a few feet before stopping. He looked back towards the creek, in the direction of the sound. The hunter scoffed and cursed at himself before going to see what the commotion was. Don’t need a shoutin’ idiot bringin’ more walkers, he told himself.

As he got closer, he heard more shouting, clear enough to tell that there were multiple voices. In a shallow area, he crossed the waters and climbed up some rocks to the other side of the forest. As he got closer he could discern two voices, a man’s and a woman’s. At first he thought they were running from walkers, until he heard their words.

“You can‘t get away from me!” the man shouted.

Daryl froze for a second, just a split second as his stomach clenched. The words reminded him of his own father, of everything he went through in his youth. He quickened his pace, feet quiet on the forest floor. Crouched low to stay hidden. 

Daryl made a silent promise to stop what was happening. He saw the man running like a lunatic, eyes crazy and feet pounding on the ground. In the man’s hand was a pistol, which he waved around wildly. Seeing how focused the man was on the girl, Daryl let himself worry less about being quiet as he started sprinting after him. He ignored the pain he felt in his ribs as he ran. 

Finally, he spotted the woman the man was chasing. She was running as fast as she could, unarmed and terrified. Shots went off as the man tried gunning her down, a bullet grazing her leg. The blow sent her plummeting towards the ground, and a loud thud sounded as she hit her head on a rock. But she didn’t get knocked out and tried getting back up. Come on girl, keep running. 

Daryl was 50 yards away and somehow made himself move faster as he saw the man drop down in front of her, unbuckling his belt. Bile rose in Daryl’s throat and his lungs burned. He had to stop this. Maybe this was his chance to redeem himself after being unable to save Sophia. Maybe saving this girl would make up for his failure. For the first time since he saw Sophia walk out of that barn, Daryl had a purpose again.

The woman fought back against the man, fists connecting with his face as she desperately cried out, “Stop it! Please!” But he didn’t stop, continuing his efforts of removing his jeans and hers. He roughly grabbed the girl's neck, choking her to stop her struggle against him.

Without time to think or aim right, Daryl lifted his crossbow and fired at the man, the bolt piercing his back. The bolt was lodged in his rib, but didn’t go all the way through. He weakly turned towards Daryl, who was now 10 feet away and aiming at his head. 

“Get off ‘er!” Daryl shouted. 

The man looked around for his gun, which was dropped far away in his hurry to get to the girl. Keeping his eyes trained on the man, Daryl walked over to the gun and picked it up, pocketing it for himself.

“I said get up!” Daryl shouted again. He was losing his patience and fast, wanting nothing more than to gut the bastard. Daryl was never exactly a model citizen, but he would never lay his hands on a woman, and he had no sympathy for men that did.

The man chuckled and looked at the girl, who was barely conscious now. “Lookey here. You got yourself a knight in shining armor.”

Daryl moved towards the man, seething now and punched him in the face. “Shut up. S’there any other bastards or jus’ you?” he spat at him.

The man didn’t answer Daryl, only continued laughing. Daryl heard twigs snap and the sounds of groans. The undead and insatiable walkers were approaching. With incredible force he lifted the man and threw him back to the ground, causing the arrow in his back to go through the rest of him, piercing a lung on the way out. The man gasped as he started drowning in his own blood, but Daryl paid him no mind. He slung his cross bow around his back and picked up the now unconscious girl. Despite the aching in his side and his tired legs, he moved with her as fast as he could. Away from the man on the ground and the walkers that were making their way over. 

Every step he took was painful and urgent. He had to outrun the walkers, while not dropping the woman on his shoulders. Instead of crossing the river where he had earlier, he rerouted to a spot where he wouldn’t have to climb up to get to the other side of the woods. The water was rushing fast, and higher than he would have liked, but he couldn’t afford dropping her– or himself– off the side of a cliff. She began stirring slightly as he crossed the river, starting to wake up. Her struggle in his arms forced Daryl to slow down. He heard the walkers getting closer, and he shoved down the panic he felt in his racing heart. 

“Lemme go” the girl mumbled weakly, words slurring together as she drifted back into unconsciousness. Daryl tightened his grip on her before picking up his pace in the river. Luckily, the higher water levels slowed down the few walkers that were trailing him, allowing him a much needed lead. A dead raccoon he passed further distracted the walkers. Soon, he lost them completely. 

When he was sure there weren’t any other walkers following him, he slowed down slightly. Trying to keep his feet steadier so he didn’t lose his grip. That was when he noticed the warm, wet dripping of blood on his arm. He remembered then that she had gotten shot. Don’t bleed out on me, he silently pleaded.

“You stayin’ with me?” he asked her. All he got in reply was a mumbling that he couldn’t understand. He grunted as he walked the rest of the way, and tried to convince himself that saving her wasn’t a stupid idea.

By the time he got back to his tent the sun had almost completely set, only a little light left over. His entire body burned from carrying the girl, despite how thin she was from starvation. He set her down on the bedroll in his tent as gently as he could, but it was hard with his exhaustion. After catching his breath for a minute he looked around for first aid supplies, at least what was left of them.

 There was a deep wound on the side of her leg, where the bullet had grazed her. She was lucky it hadn’t buried itself in her leg or hit an artery. Carefully, he cut into her blood-soaked jeans with his knife so he could get to the wound easier. He grabbed some clean rags and applied pressure, trying to slow down the bleeding.

 It felt like a lifetime had passed by the time the bleeding had slowed, almost stopping completely. Digging around through his stuff, he found some sleeves he ripped off of his shirts and wrapped them tightly around her leg to keep pressure on the wound.

The woman began stirring as he worked, becoming restless. Daryl watched her closely as he grabbed his flashlight. He shone the light in her eyes, which were beginning to open. His focus was laser sharp as he watched how her pupils reacted. In the dark they were blown out wide, barely reacting to the light shining in them. “S’not good” Daryl muttered to himself. He tossed the light aside and began gently patting her face, trying to rouse her awake more. 

“Gotta wake up girl”. She threw her head to one side and then the other, groaning in pain as she did. “C’mon wake up” He repeated, louder this time.

Again, she opened her eyes, this time focusing more on her surroundings, or at least trying to. She clearly wasn’t aware of what was going on though. Daryl waved a hand in front of her face, getting no reaction. Backing up slightly, he held up his hand, all five fingers in the air. 

“How many fingers m’ I holdin’?:”

She blinked and stared hard at him. “S’blurry” She slurred.

“Try harder”

She groaned again, and tried to shuffle her way backwards. Landing a weak slap to his chest, she mumbled. “Get away from’e”

Daryl shook his head in frustration and dropped his hand. “You’re concussed” He grabbed a water bottle and opened it, holding it up to her lips. “Drink it.” Getting her to sip the water was a struggle, but eventually she did, even working up the strength to hold it herself. 

When he turned to look at her, he saw that she was now sleeping again. He grabbed the water bottle from her hand, and capped it before it spilled everywhere. In the dim light of his solar powered lantern he got a better look at her. Her undereyes were dark with exhaustion, lips chapped. The color was drained from her face, and if she wasn’t fidgeting Daryl might’ve thought she was dead. She was young too, must’ve been around Glenn and Maggie’s age, maybe a little older. But the thought he kept having, the one he had to shove away and bury was that he couldn’t help but find her pretty. He knew this was neither the time nor place for that. And he intently kicked himself for the thought.

Although she wasn’t in the best state to be left alone, Daryl would need better supplies to help her heal. Everything left from Merle’s stash would give her the trip of her life– that was if it didn’t kill her. Maybe he could sneak into Hershel’s supplies to find medicine. He’d make it quick and quiet. No one needed to know about her, no one needed to know what he was doing. He’d help her, and then send her on her way, easy as that. 

After he’d done all he could, he left the tent and got to work on a fire. The chirping of crickets mixed with the crackle of the flames. Just as the warmth started seeping into his bones Carol walked up to him, worry written across her body.

“We can't find Lori - and the others aren't back yet either”

Daryl poked around the fire with a stick. “Yeah. That dumb bitch must've gone off looking for 'em. 

“What?”

“Yeah, she asked me to go. I told her I was done being an errand boy. 

“And you didn't say anything?” Her voice wavered, high pitched and weak. He suddenly felt guilty, like a kid caught doing something wrong. Carol walked off, passing his tent before she turned back towards him. “Don't do this. Please. I've already lost my girl.” 

Shoving down the guilt, he growled at her. “That wasn't my problem neither”

She looked at him in disbelief, hurt in her eyes. But then she walked away, too meek to argue further with him. He cursed at the ground before getting up to pace around the fire.

He looked towards where Carol went, watching her become smaller and smaller in the distance. When she was far enough away he decided to sneak over to the house to get supplies. 

With everyone distracted by Beth’s state and Lori being missing, it was pretty easy to sneak around. He found some clean bandages and alcohol that he could use. Checking his surroundings, he stuffed them in his pockets. Quiet as a cat as he left the house.

In the tent he cleaned out her wound and changed her bandage. Afterwards, he sat in a corner of his tent– chewing on his thumb between his teeth– and just watched her sleep. Outside he heard twigs snap, and he jumped up, grabbing his knife on his way out.

“What are you doing?” he barked at Carol, trying not to sound like he had something to hide, someone to hide.

“Keeping an eye on you.”

“Ain't you a peach?”

Her face was unreadable to him in the moonlight, but once again she could see right through him. 

“I'm not gonna let you pull away. You've earned your place.” Her words felt sharp, too honest.  They brought out a boiling anger in him.

 “If you spent half your time minding your daughter's business instead of sticking your nose in everybody else's, she'd still be alive! 

“Go ahead.” she whispered. 

He narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Go ahead and what?” But she didn’t say anything, just tightened her lips into a slight frown. That only pissed him off more.

“Just go! I don't want you here!” He shouted and when she still stayed silent he pointed a finger at her, stepping closer. He hated the way she just stared at him, as if she was analyzing everything he said and did. As if she was disappointed in him.

“You're a real piece of work, lady. What, are you gonna make this about my daddy or some crap like that? Pfft! Man, you know Jack. You're afraid. You're afraid 'cause you're all alone. You got no husband, no daughter.” With each word his voice got louder and rougher. He just felt so frustrated with everyone, and with her. And yeah, maybe he was alone– like Carol– but at least he didn’t make it everyone else’s problem.

“You don't know what to do with yourself. You ain't my problem! Sophia wasn't mine! All you had to do was keep an eye on her!” He got real close to her then, and when she flinched away it felt like she had shot him in the gut. Did she really think he was gonna hit her? Did she really think he was like her dickhead husband? 

Carol took a deep breath then, and batted away the tears threatening to fall. Daryl had backed away from her, feeling guilty about his outburst but not having the words to say as much. She frowned and nodded before slowly walking away from him and his camp for the second time. 

He kicked the dirt and plopped down angrily in front of the now dying fire. That’s how he spent the rest of the breezy summer night. Moping in front of the embers. Only his thoughts kept him company until he fell asleep under the stars.

Birds chirped loudly, noise easily carrying through the tent. The high pitched trills and songs sent a sharp pain through Lucy’s head. Which was only made worse by how thirsty she was. Her mouth felt as dry as a desert, and her vision was hazy as she slowly woke up. The first thing she spotted was a full, fresh water bottle. She drank it quickly, savoring every last drop as if she would never have any again. When the bottle was empty she looked around. There were men’s clothes in a neat pile, a pair of boots and other belongings thrown around. A slow, agonizing realization settled deep in her stomach. She was in a tent– a man’s tent– and she didn’t know how she got there. 

In a panic she scrambled out of the tent and looked around her. The little camp was set up just on the edge of a forest but surrounded by fields on the other sides. Flashes of running away from a man in the woods returned to her. She remembered it now– why she was running– although the specifics escaped her. But what she did know was that five men had raided their camp, killing her group. It was only her and Francesca left, running away in the dead of the night. They ran and hid for two days until the guys caught up to them, taking Fran away.

Lucy looked around the camp for anything that might be useful. She had to get away from wherever she was and back to Fran. She had to find her before it was too late. To her left was a knife, and it would have to be enough. Ignoring the pain in her leg and head, she limped away from the camp and into the field, hoping she’d find something useful. It didn’t take long for her to see the white farm house, with a barn, and camp outside. The serene farmhouse reminded her of her grandparent’s land, and it almost helped to calm her. Almost. As she neared the house she saw a man being carried into a shed, along with what looked like medical equipment. 

What is going on here?

She tried her best to stealthily move forward, which was near impossible with the pain in her leg. There was a bandage there, but she couldn’t remember exactly what had happened. She watched as the large group slowly wandered into the farmhouse. For a few minutes she hid behind a tree and just watched. But then she noticed the cars parked out front. Maybe with everyone preoccupied she could take one and get away. 

As fast as she could with her limp and killer headache, she rushed to one of the cars. The light green SUV was her target, but the sound of the door creaking open stopped her in her tracks. Clutching the knife tighter in her hands she spun around at a man’s voice.

“Hey!” he shouted. The man was bald and he started walking towards her, steps heavy and full of purpose. She limped backwards, towards the car. 

“Who the hell are you?”

She didn’t answer. And in response he took out his gun, cocking it. Everything about the man was dripping in rage and bad decisions. The closer he got the more her steps faltered and her brain failed to keep up with the threat.

 Her eyes were wide with fear, and she was trembling slightly. Not that he had noticed, instead he shouted into her face. “Who are you!”

“I don’t have to tell you anything”

He cocked his head, now standing just a few feet away. “How did you find us?”

As the man crept closer to her she felt her resolve weaken. Her voice sounded more like a scared child’s as she stuttered over her words. “I- I don’t know. I just woke up in a tent” Her heart was racing wildly. 

“Bullshit” he spat. He grabbed her neck with his hand, cutting off her breath and sending a shooting pain through her. When he grabbed her she heard a woman yell from the house. Without thinking Lucy sliced the arm that held her neck, causing him to yelp and let go. But he was bigger, stronger and more experienced than she was. With practiced ease, he knocked the knife out of her hands. Both of her wrists were held in one of his hands while the other pressed his gun into her temple. “I’m only gonna ask one more time”

Lucy’s gaze veered to the side as a figure burst out of the house and towards her and the man. “Shane, stop!” As he ran to them, he grabbed a crossbow that was leaning on the porch, and Lucy couldn’t help the relief that flooded through her. All it took was seeing his face to remember how that chase in the woods had ended, and how she got out of it. He had carried her off, away from her attacker, and now he was doing it again. 

The man with the crossbow pushed Shane away from Lucy before stepping in front of her. Shane gave the man a wild look, “Daryl stay out of this.” By now, the rest of the enormous group had left the house and was watching the scene.

Shane tried to step closer to Lucy but was stopped by Daryl’s arm. “I brought her here, you jackass.” 

Another man grabbed Shane and pulled him away, putting up his hand to tell him to calm down. “You brought her here? Where’d you find her?”

“The woods”

The new man looked at Lucy, trying to determine if she was a threat. He saw the bandage and the tired, half-starved look she had. “Why’d you bring her here?” 

Daryl gave the man a nod towards the crowd and walked off. The man grabbed Lucy’s arm, bringing her with. Shane trailed behind while the rest of the group stayed by the house.

“She was being attacked,” Daryl said, keeping his voice low.

“By walkers? Is that what the bandage is for? Because she was bit?” Shane jumped in.

Daryl scowled at Shane. “She was shot” 

“By who?” “Some bastard in the woods. He was chasin’ her”

“Rick we can’t just let him bring strays into camp” Shane barked.

Daryl stepped closer to Shane again. “I wasn’t just gonna leave her to die!”

“Man, let me tell you something-”

Rick interrupted his friend with an exhausted look on his face. “Shane! Go away” 

Shane scoffed and rolled his eyes before walking towards the house. Muttering curses the whole time he trudged away.

“What’s your name?’ Rick asked, tilting his head towards her.

She gulped, “Lucy”

“And what happened Lucy?”

Author's Notes:

Hello everyone! Welcome to my first TWD fic! I plan on this going pretty far into the show. (I'm still watching it for the first time. I'm on season 7, so no spoilers!) I hope you all enjoy it, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Hope you like Lucy, I try not to describe her appearance much so she can serve as a reader stand in. But she's got a personality and she's got a big journey ahead of her.

Chapter 1: I Wasn't Just Gonna Leave Her to Die

Chapter 2: Smart Girl

Chapter 3: Before

Chapter 4: Nothing to go Back to

Chapter 5: Cause and Effect

If you know me IRL... no you don't

-

The air conditioning in the house hummed quietly as it tried to combat the summer heat. You felt hot and flustered, but you weren’t sure if it was the heat or because of how nervous you were feeling. Tonight was finally the night that you and Jake were going to the bar. You had been able to procrastinate asking him to take you, but Phoenix got on your ass about it and made you cave. 

So there you were getting ready in your room. You had just finished styling your hair and were starting your makeup. Maria had sent you countless tutorials on how to do smoky eyes and sexy looks. At first you told her you were just going to do something simple and soft like you usually did. But the more you thought about it, the more you wanted to look as alluring as possible. If you were going to get Jake to stop being annoyingly respectful then you needed to look hot. You picked one of the tutorials and followed it perfectly. After some time you had a perfect sultry eye look with pouty lips. In the mirror, you looked so different from normal. Your hair and makeup was heavy and glamorous, it was so different from how you usually looked in your uniform. This only made the nerves in your stomach grow. But, you took a deep breath and got changed into your outfit. 

Without the casts on, your outfits looked much better than normal. Although having one of your legs still in a boot did affect the look. You wore a tight mini skirt, one pair of the knee high boots you bought, and a tight butter yellow halter top. Each article of clothing accentuated your body and made you feel extremely confident. It was the most confident you felt in a long time and it made you smile brightly. After sending a photo of yourself to Phoenix and Maria for approval you made your way into the living room where Jake was sitting. 

First, he heard your footsteps, one foot clicking and the other foot thudding due to the boot you still needed. He looked over and felt his mouth hang open. You always had been beautiful, but tonight you looked incredible in a way that words couldn’t describe. Everything about your outfit was designed to torture him. The yellow of the top made you glow like a ray of sunshine, while the dark makeup you were wearing looked sinful. The skirt, which was so short as to accentuate your legs, stopped just before he could see anything. Of course, your top plunged and showed off your cleavage. Suddenly, his mouth was watering and his whole body was hot. He wanted nothing more than to rip all your clothes off and carry you away. You looked too good, too perfect to be going to the bar with him, and too beautiful to bless the eyes of anyone else. 

“Wow” he choked out. He swallowed the lump in his throat as his eyes traced your form. “You look so…”

As he trailed off you interrupted, “I know it’s a bit much but it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to go out”

He shook his head and smiled. “It’s not too much at all. You’re incredible”

You smiled as heat crept into your face and your stomach knotted itself. 

“Are you ready?” he asked, his voice wavering slightly.

You nodded your head and let him lead outside. He opened the passenger door for you and helped you into your seat. As you got up you made sure to brush yourself against him, hoping to tease him in some way. You really were committing to this plan after all, might as well go over the top. After he started the car he handed you his phone to pick out some music and turned onto the road. The drive to the bar was short but the air in the truck was thick and heavy, filled by the unspoken tension between you both. After about ten minutes the two of you had reached town and Jake was pulling into a parking spot. He hopped out and rushed around to help you out of the truck and lead you to the bar. The downtown was quaint and picturesque, with crowds of people walking around. 

As the door to the bar opened you heard the loud chatter of everyone inside. It was crowded so Jake grabbed your hand, holding it like you would fly away if he let go. His hand on yours was hot, sending sparks shooting through your body. He snaked through the crowd and led you to a table where you could sit. It was close to the bar but secluded enough so that you would at least be able to hear each other. 

“Why don’t you sit and I can get us some drinks” Jake said, half shouting and half talking.

“Sounds good,” you replied. He made his way to the bar after he asked you what you wanted, which you told him was a Moscow mule. 

You took a deep breath to compose yourself and think of how you could get him to crack. You still weren’t completely sure if he liked you like everyone else said, but you hoped, and that was enough to make you act a fool in public to try and make him yours. 

Unfortunately, the moment of silence and solitude that you had was broken by one of the bartenders handing you a shot. “Um I didn’t order a shot” you told him, thinking it was a mistake.

“It’s from the guy over there,” the bartender replied, pointing over to a guy at the bar who was smiling at you. The man at the bar looked familiar but you weren’t sure why. After the bartender left the man who bought you the shot made his way over. The look on his face made you instinctively try to shrink away. He wasn’t Jake, and you really didn’t want to deal with anyone but him flirting. But you promised your friends that you would try to make Jake jealous. If you were going to commit, then you had to put on a show.

“Hey” said the guy who ordered your shot.

You smiled at him, but it was forced and awkward. “Hi” 

“Are you from out of town?”

“Yes”

He nodded his head and raked his eyes over your body. You could feel his gaze on you, piercing your skin. It was so unlike the way Jake looked at you, soft and gentle. Queasiness flooded your body as he kept talking. 

“I’m Ryan” he told you. 

As you gave him your name you tried your best to look as if you were interested. You fluttered your eyelashes, but it felt unnatural.

You glanced around to see if Jake was watching, but he was facing the bar, turned away from you. “So, you bought the shot?” you asked Ryan.

He nodded his head. “I believe that pretty ladies deserve nice things”

“That’s sweet,” you said coyly.

Ryan continued talking to you, and when he made a joke an unnaturally loud laugh left your lips, causing Jake to glance at you over his shoulders. His heart dropped to his stomach when he saw that a guy was standing across from you, making you laugh. You took a shot and the guy licked his lips as he watched you, and Jake saw red. It took everything in him to not walk over there and punch the daylights out of whoever that guy was. Jake took a deep breath and stayed at the bar. After all, you weren’t his girlfriend, and you’re a grown woman, the last thing he would ever want to do is control you. And he certainly wasn’t about to ruin a night out with you by letting jealousy get the best of him.

You kept glancing over at Jake while Ryan talked. Jake stood at the bar looking stiff and uncharacteristically pissed, and in a weird way, you liked it. It was a sign that maybe, just maybe, this plan was working. When you saw Jake grab the drinks and pay, you knew he was coming back, so you turned your attention back to Ryan and plastered a smile on your face. 

Jake set down the drinks he had gotten you both and stood next to you protectively. 

“Everything ok over here?” Jake asked

Ryan looked at Jake and then back to you. “Is this your boyfriend or something?”

You turned your head to look Jake up and down, biting your lip as you did it. “No, he’s not my boyfriend,” you said, before looking back at Ryan.

Ryan nodded and sized Jake up, eventually realizing he wouldn’t win this competition. He said his farewell and made his way to find another girl to flirt with.

After Ryan left, Jake took his place across the table from you. He took a swig of his beer and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He said nothing, only quietly stood across from you, standing stiff as a board.

“What's wrong Jake?” you asked coyly, while sipping on your drink.

“Nothing,” he reassured, tightly smiling to try and look calm. 

For a few minutes both of you stayed silent, just drinking and people watching. But the shot mixed with the mule meant that you were feeling a buzz in no time. Your limbs felt light and you felt braver too. You glanced to the dance floor and then back at him. 

“I’m gonna go dance,” you told him. “Are you gonna join me?”

He looked at the crowded floor for a moment. He didn’t really dance unless he was feeling drunk himself. “I’ll finish my drink first,” he said.

You nodded your head and winked at him before making your way to dance.

In your head, you could hear Phoenix and Maria telling you to go crazy. You knew that you really had to sell it, and make Jake and every other guy in the bar want you. As you danced, you swayed your hips and ran your hand along your curves. You made sure Jake was watching, and you could see that there was an indescribable look on his face. 

It only took a few minutes of dancing until there were men slowly dancing their way near you. You felt like vultures were circling over you, but you knew Jake wouldn't let any of them touch you. Once again, you looked over at Jake, who had his hands in fists as he watched the guys around you. He was seething, and slowly, his composure was breaking. He tore his gaze off of the men and back to you, so you turned your back to him, and dramatically shook your hips from side to side. The men around you were trying to talk to you, and you shook your head and pointed at Jake. He slammed his drink and marched over to you, looking like he was about to rip the heads off of anyone who so much as looked at you. He was a lion among house cats. You didn’t feel afraid though, you felt hot and electric.

When he was a few feet away from you, you stretched your hand out to him. He took your hand and you pulled him into you. His arm wrapped around you possessively as you stood on your tip toes to get close to his ear. 

“Is something wrong?” you purred.

In that moment, he finally understood what was going on. All the flirting with other guys, and the dancing like a college girl at a frat party. You were egging him on, trying to get him to understand that you wanted him just like he wanted you.

He laughed darkly. “You really like teasing me don’t you” he stated, his southern drawl apparent.

You batted your eyelashes at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Do you know how much you drive me crazy?”

You said nothing, just shook your head. 

He leaned in close and quietly said, “If you keep dancing with other men I’m gonna drag you out of here and make you forget anyone else exists”

You melted at his words, as fire shot through your whole body. 

“Don’t tempt me with a good time Seresin” You said as you pulled away from him for a second. 

He used the distance to spin you so your back was pressed against his chest. You felt your heart leap out of your chest. His hands, which were around your arms, slowly made their way to your hips. You fluttered your eyes shut at the feeling and let your head fall back onto his chest. His fingers lightly dug into your hips and the fabric of your mini skirt. You felt him pull you further into him, your rear making contact with his front. A heavy feeling overtook your body, making you feel liquid smooth. 

Jake finally had the courage to cross the line that he had been teetering on. Tonight, you would be his and he would spend the rest of his life making sure you were happy. He dug his fingers into you, hoping that it would ground him. It only made him want to go further and be more daring. He had spent the past few months shoving everything he felt for you down so that he didn’t scare you or take advantage of you, but he was done doing that. You were here, pressed against him, dancing on him, and he felt like he was going to explode. His pants were too tight and restricting and he knew you could feel it but didn’t care.

You were swaying your hips against him, reveling in the fact that you could feel how much he was enjoying this. Hot breath hit your ears and then your neck as he planted kisses on you. He spun you around again so you faced him and finally your waiting and pleading was over. In an instant, his lips were on yours in a needy, desperate kiss. It wasn’t wholesome or sweet, it was ravenous. It was the kiss of a man who had been waiting years for a chance with you. Over the years he imagined a million different scenarios of what it would be like to kiss you for the first time. Every time he imagined it, he thought he’d be gentler, more romantic. But you had driven him to the edge of reason, all caution thrown to the wind, diving head first into you.

His hands were all over you, roaming, and gripping, and caressing. You were just as handsy, carding your fingers through his hair and pulling him impossibly closer to you. Quietly you moaned at his actions, allowing him to slip his tongue in your mouth. He could taste the ginger beer from the Moscow mule, and the sweet syrup from the shot you had taken, but above all, he tasted you. You were his own personal drug, giving him the best high of his life.

Before he lost all self control and started fucking you in the middle of the bar, he pulled away. You frowned at this, and stood on your tip toes, desperately wanting more.

He lowered his face next to your ear and asked, “Can I take you home?”

A soft whimper left your mouth. “Yes” you breathed. 

One word from you was all it took for him to grab your hand and guide you out of the bar. Quickly, he opened the passenger door to the truck and lifted you in your seat before practically sprinting around to the driver side. A squealing sound came from the tires as he peeled out of the parking lot in record time. The whole ride his hand was on your thigh, slipping under your skirt and ghosting over the spot where you needed him most. 

It was during the agonizing drive that you realized this wasn’t just a silly crush you had. You were falling head over heels for Jake “Hangman” Seresin. The same Jake that you had spent years loathing, and fighting with. How long had you been blind to see that you needed him. The way a fish needs water, and trees need the sun. It was a primal hunger you had, not only just to have him touch you, but to also have his soul be yours. Tonight, everything would change, you were sure of it. You’d finally get a taste of what you had been missing all these years, and in the morning you’d make sure he knew just how much you wanted him to be yours. But for now, all you could do was sit in the truck, and get lost in the way his fingers touched your skin, and teased you. 

After what felt like an eternity Jake pulled the truck into the driveway. In an instant he slammed it into park, turned off the ignition and was out of the truck, opening your door. His lips found yours and once again you were melting under his touch. He grabbed your legs and wrapped them around him, so that you were straddling him. You shut the car door from your perch on Jake and he walked the both of you to the front door. He couldn’t stop kissing you, not even for a moment to let you down and unlock the door, so he pinned you between himself and the door. You could feel him pressing up against you, so you chased that feeling you had been desperate for and ground your hips on him. 

When he peppered kisses on your neck you begged, “Let’s go inside Jake. Please.”

He reluctantly pulled away, and let you down. His mind was fuzzy and he just couldn’t seem to find the right key for his front door. Luckily, he got it right, swinging the front door open and dragging you inside. Your lips found his again and slowly, he guided you both to his room. Once the door to his room was shut your back was against it. You could feel your heart beating out of your chest, and between your legs you felt hot and desperate. 

“Jake” you pleaded

The sound of his name as a breathy plea from your lips made him smirk. “What’s wrong honey? S’there something you need?” he drawled.

You nodded your head, unable to form the words to ask him to fuck you senseless. He could see from the way your eyes were dark and twinkling that you needed him. And by god, did he need you too. But he had to do this right, had to make this the best night you’d ever had. One more kiss was placed on your lips before he sank to his knees like you were a holy altar he had to pray at. Slowly, he took off your boots, laying kisses on the newly exposed skin. Your breath was becoming more shallow and ragged as he touched you everywhere.

His hands reached up to your skirt and began to find the zipper, but then he paused. “Darling, I need to know that you want this as much as I do.” If you regretted this in the morning and never wanted anything to do with him again, he wasn’t sure he could live with himself. 

“I need this Jake” you breathed. “I need you.”

He let out a breath of relief before he was ripping your skirt off of you. His heart leapt when he saw you in the tiniest thing known to man, just a string and a tiny piece of lace.

“Did you put this on just to give me a heart attack?” He asked

“Is it working?”

He laughed, “Yes. It’s working. You’re the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.”

You moaned at his praise, and then again as he slid off your panties. Strong hands separated your legs and held you up he began kissing and licking you. Jake let out a groan at the taste of you, of course you were delicious, the most perfect thing he’d ever tasted. He could sit in between your legs for the rest of his life. Your hands dug into his hair and you leaned against the door for support as his tongue worked in your folds, making your already wet pussy drenched. It only took him minutes of work until you could feel that familiar tension building in your core, ready to snap. Jake knew you were close by the way your thighs squeezed his head, and you kept whispering his name over and over like a prayer. Suddenly, you felt it, the release you had been craving. A loud moan escaped your mouth as you felt waves of pleasure course through your body. 

Jake stood up from between your legs and captured your mouth in a gentle kiss. Tasting yourself on him sent your brain into overdrive. Once again, he picked you up so you were staddling him. With you in his arms, he made his way over to the bed and carefully laid you down. 

“Do you think you can handle more?” he asked. But it was more of a promise rather than a question. Of course there was more, of course he was going to continue blowing you away and making you fall apart.

You nodded your head, still breathless from the orgasm he had just given you.

He kissed your neck. “I need you to say it, beautiful. I want to hear you tell me you want more.”

“I want more Jake, more than anything” you begged.

“Good,” he said. He made quick work of taking off the rest of your clothes. After you were completely bare for him he took a moment to stare at you, and memorize the work of art in front of him. You couldn’t help but squirm under his gaze, the anticipation of more eating you alive. It wasn’t fair that he got to look at you naked while he still had clothes on. You began taking off his shirt and were blown away by the muscle beneath it. Sure, you’d seen him without a shirt on at the beach, but never this close, and never only for you. 

Soon you were both naked and his cock, hard and ready, was lined up with your entrance. He looked to you for approval, once last chance for you to back out, but you nodded your head, signaling that you were ready. Slowly, he pushed his cock inside of you. A breathy moan left you at the stretch, and you could hear Jake breathing heavily, trying to compose himself. He took his time, making sure you felt good every time he went a little further in, until finally he was completely buried in you. It was the most divine thing he had felt, like you were made for him, and only him.

The thrusts started antagonizingly slow and shallow, letting you get used to taking him. Every movement pulled a delicious noise out of you, spurring Jake to keep going. But he did his best to control himself, he had to make you finish first before he let himself go. 

“You’re doing so good” he moaned, making you whimper in reply. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this baby? You’re so perfect for me.” When he got to an even pace you started grinding your hips up to meet him, causing him to go deeper in you, hitting the spot you needed him in the most. 

“Jake,” you moaned. His name falling from your lips telling him you were getting close. He kept thrusting, hitting deep where you needed it. When your pussy started spasming, and clenching around him, pulling him deeper, he knew you were just about to come. 

“Give it to me baby. Fall apart on my cock” he begged, barely able to keep himself from spilling inside of you.

You moaned at his words and at the feeling of the tension building in you. With another thrust, you were coming, your whole body feeling the pleasure shooting through you. Jake kept fucking you through the orgasm, drawing it out until finally he let himself go too. His thrusts were desperate until finally you felt heat pour into you, melting you from the inside out. He held himself up, not wanting to crush you as he calmed down from his high. For both of you, this was the best you had ever had, your bodies had fit together perfectly, each knowing exactly how to move for the other. 

He pulled out of you, and you felt empty without him inside of you. But that feeling was replaced by comfort as he laid next to you and pulled you into his arms, wrapping himself around you. You felt soft kisses on your face, jaw, and neck as he showered you in affection. He felt you bury your face in the crook of his neck, causing him to smile to himself. If someone had told him five years ago that all of his hopes and dreams about you would come true, he never would have believed it. Yet, here you were, in his arms after coming undone for him. If this was the last night of his life, he would die the happiest man who ever lived. He finally had you, and now that he did, he was never letting go.

-

Hey everyone. I know that it's been like two months or something since I posted the last chapter. Sorry about that. I have been struggling with feeling motivated tbh. But, to make up for it I am posting the next chapter at the same time as this one!

-

The first week of living with Jake flew by before you knew it. After a few days, the two of you settled into a steady routine. He would make you breakfast and help you with whatever you needed and then you would read while Jake worked out or watched a movie. When Jake had gone out to go grocery shopping you called his mom and asked her if she would take you to the store. She agreed immediately as she was dying to spend more time with you.

You told her that you were hoping to buy Jake a small birthday present and that since he had gone out you had the perfect opportunity. After telling his mom, Sadie, what you were planning on buying him she drove to what she proclaimed was the perfect store. Since Jake seemed to really enjoy the romance novel he read while you were in the hospital, you decided that getting him a few more books would be perfect. 

The bookstore that Sadie took you to was nothing short of beautiful. It was a small building, covered in ivy and flowers. The walls inside were full of books and plants. There was a variety of books both old and new, and it made the store feel cozy and warm. Once you found the romance section you were swarmed with a plethora of amazing choices. After perusing the shelves for a long time, you decided to get him three books you thought were perfect. Two of them were historical romances, similar to the one he had already read, while the other was a modern romance novel about scientists. You figured that some variety would be good for him, especially since he kept proving that there is more to him than meets the eye.

Soon, you and Sadie were on the way back to Jake’s house. On the way home you had made a pitstop to buy wrapping paper and an envelope. You were trying to carefully wrap the present in the moving car so that you wouldn’t have to wrap it while Jake was home. His birthday was only a couple of days away and you didn’t want to risk him finding the gifts. 

The morning of Jake’s birthday had finally rolled around. You woke up early to make him breakfast, which was fairly hard since one of your arms was in a cast, but you succeeded nonetheless. 

He strolled into the kitchen in a tired haze. “What is that smell?”

“Oh just some breakfast for the birthday boy” you said

He smiled sweetly before smirking. “You know, I’m supposed to be cooking for you.” He said as he made plates for the both of you and set them down. 

“I can cook just fine,” you said defiantly. You both were sitting at the table. Jake ate a piece of the pancake you made.

“I know you can, but I enjoy taking care of you,” he insisted. He took another bite of the pancake, eyes never leaving your own. Your stomach tightened at the way he said it. You looked down at your food, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way your breath had quickened. But he did notice, and he hoped that your reaction was because you felt the same. He vowed that he would be respectful, and that he wouldn’t push you, but he still wanted to find out if you finally felt the same way he did. 

You smiled and said nothing more, preferring the comfortable silence over the terrifying possibility of your feelings spilling out. The silence was broken by Jake asking you to pass him the syrup. As he grabbed the bottle his fingers brushed your own, sending a wave of electricity through you. It was ridiculous how easily Jake could make you fluster. How am I going to survive without giving myself away, you thought. Jake thanked you and spread the syrup on his pancakes.

“I think my folks are making burgers for dinner,” Jake said.

“That sounds good,” you said. 

“I can’t believe they got me to agree to having a party,” he laughed. “I think I’m a bit too old for it”

You laughed too, “well they really love you”

He nodded his head in agreement and took a sip of coffee. After a few moments he quietly murmured, “I think they love you too”

You looked up at him and said nothing, a look of surprise on your face telling him everything.

“It’s true!” he exclaimed. “Everytime I talk to my mom she demands that you go over there”

 The sweet sound of your laughter filled the room, making Jake wish he could hear it over and over again forever. 

“We’re all really going to miss you when you go back home”

Your smile faded for a moment as you said, “I’ll miss you all too”

He smiled weakly before once again returning his attention to his pancakes. Silence ruled the room once more as you both finished your breakfast. He insisted that he clean up the kitchen and that you go back to resting. 

Later that night the two of you arrived at his parents house. As you two made your way into the house he finally noticed that you were holding a gift bag. 

 He stopped you for moment and said, “you didn’t have to get me anything”

“I wanted to get you a gift”

He smiled down at you and tilted his head. “Is that so?”

You nodded sweetly and smirked. He chuckled and said, “I know you’re stubborn, so I’m not even going to try and argue with you about getting me a gift.”

“Good” you told him, before continuing the journey into the house. 

The party was much bigger than you were expecting it to be. It seemed his mother decided that it could serve as a welcome home as well as a birthday. His parents, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends, and even some of his old high school friends were in attendance. There were a lot of people you didn’t think you’d ever meet, and you were beginning to feel overwhelmed. But Jake stayed by your side as much as he could, only leaving if his mother dragged him away. Luckily, everyone was extremely nice and welcoming to you.

The food and cake at the party was delicious. There was good music and a lot of laughter. Jake seemed to be having a great time. He was smiling more than you had ever seen and he looked completely relaxed and at home. After a while he opened gifts. Only you and his immediate family got him gifts, but he was grateful.

The gift that you had gotten him was his favorite. Even though his cousins teased him about the romance books he told them all how he read one of your favorites and really enjoyed it. He seemed excited to start reading them all, and there were a couple of moments you caught him sneaking away to a quiet spot to read a few pages of one of the books. 

Before you knew it, the party was over and you and Jake were back at his place. You were laying across the couch in a food coma. He was on the armchair reading one of the books you had gotten him. He kept sneaking glances at you, causing him to lose his place in the book. After a while he set the book down.

“Thank you for the gifts,” he said. “It means a lot to me”

You looked over at him and smiled. “you’re really helping me out, it was the least I could do.” 

“Darling, I’d help you over and over again with nothing in return” he stated, the sincerity in his voice piercing through you.

Feeling your heart leap in your chest, you looked away from him for a moment before saying, “Thank you, that’s sweet”

“Anything for you” he said before returning to his book.

You swallowed the lump that had formed in your throat. Breathing was suddenly harder than normal for you as your breaths became shallow. He made you so nervous, it was like you had a high school crush. You shifted your position on the couch so that you were no longer laying down, but sitting up.

Needing to distract yourself from how you felt, you asked, “How come you’re so… different at work?”

He stopped reading and marked his spot while he thought about how to answer your question. How could he explain without sounding like an asshole that he had a need to be better than everyone else. Deep down, he was a perfectionist, so worried about perfect performance and skilled flying that he ended up sabotaging himself and hurting everyone else in the process. How could he explain that everytime he messed up, and left someone in the air all on their own it made him hate himself and push everyone away. 

He looked over to you and saw the way you tilted your head and looked at him, truly looked at him as Jake, and not as Hangman, or Bagman, or an asshole. 

“I fuck up a lot,” he confessed. “I know that I’m good at flying, but I want to be the best. I guess, I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I drive myself crazy.” He paused for a moment to search your face. You weren’t judging him or scowling, you were listening, and he felt safe.

“I just… I want to prove that I can do it, all by myself. So I ditch people in the air, and act like I’m better than everyone else on the ground. Burn every bridge so that the only person I can disappoint is myself” he said, eyes on the floor, refusing to look up and see if the rest of his explanation has made you hate him again.

But you didn’t hate him, you couldn’t hate him ever again. He’d proven to you that there was more to him than meets the eye, and now you finally understood why he acted like, well Hangman.

“Jake, I get it,” you reassured.

He looked up, brows raised and eyes wide. “You do?”

You nodded. “I understand what it’s like wanting to be perfect and wanting to prove yourself. I’m the exact same way.”

Jake got up from his seat to come and sit next to you on the couch.

“One of the reasons that the crash was so devastating wasn’t just because I got hurt, but because I couldn’t fly on that mission. I lost the chance to show everyone that I can be great.”

He took your hand in his, and with the other, brushed a piece of hair behind your ear as you talked. Although your heart stopped at his actions, you tried not to let the electricity of his touch take control of you.

You turned your head to face him, “I know that you’ll always drive yourself crazy trying to be the best. But you don’t have to feel crazy alone, and you don’t have to feel like a disappointment, because you aren’t.”

You squeezed his hand, causing him to softly smile. “Thank you for pushing me to be better.”

“Anything for you,” you said, mimicking his sentiments from earlier. 

Jake glanced down to your lips, wanting nothing more than to kiss you, and make you his. He was still holding your hand, but slowly, he moved up your arm and held your face. Gently, his thumb caressed your cheek. The feeling of his skin on yours was sending your body into overload, heart pounding and skin tingling. You leaned into his touch and looked at his eyes, the green in them hidden by his blown out pupils. 

“y/n” he whispered.

“Yes Jake”

“I’m really glad you’re staying here”

“Me too” you hummed.

He leaned in, and you prepared yourself for him to kiss you and make your understanding of the world dissolve. But, he kissed your forehead, and it was so gentle and sweet that you melted under his touch. He was Midas turning you into liquid gold. You wrapped your arms around him as he rested his forehead on yours. 

“We should get to bed” he said, but he immediately regretted saying it. As you unwrapped your arms and pulled yourself away from him, he felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

You nodded, and tried not to look sad. “It’s late,” you agreed.

The two of you said goodnight and made your way to your separate rooms. Neither of you were able to fall asleep easily, the intimacy of the moment racing through your minds. If Jake wasn’t so in love with you, and if he wasn’t so petrified that he would scare you away, he would have taken you right there on the couch, and stayed up all night showing you how perfect you are. But he knew he needed to wait for the perfect moment.

A month had passed since Jake’s birthday. A month of him being the perfect gentleman. He has driven you to the doctors, made you dinners, watched whatever movies you wanted. But he hadn’t made a move since that night on the couch. All you wanted was for him to show you that he wanted more. But he kept a respectful distance, never sitting too close, and never touching. It was driving you crazy. He was the only thing that you could think about and yet it seemed like he wanted to just be friends.

Jake had just gone grocery shopping and you knew you’d have at least an hour, maybe more, all to yourself. So you decided to call Maria, Bob, and Phoenix. You had been texting and calling to give them updates throughout the month, but you really needed some advice.

After introducing Maria to Bob and Phoenix you explained the situation. “Guys, I am going insane! You all were wrong about thinking he likes me”

“He likes you” Phoenix said, “but it is weird that he isn’t saying or doing anything about it”

“He never does anything about it, ” Bob stated.

“Because he doesn’t actually like me and you’re all wrong! I’m getting my hopes up for nothing”

“No, no,” Bob interrupted. “We aren’t wrong. Hangman has got the most obvious crush on you in the world”

“Even when we were students at Top Gun he liked you!” Maria agreed.

You groaned and shook your head. “Well, how do I get him to do something about it instead of being so… gentlemanlike”

Phoenix laughed. “Hangman? A gentleman? He must really like you”

Bob laughed at her comment. “Are you sure he hasn’t done anything to show you he likes you?”

“Well”

Phoenix knitted her brows together, “well what? Is there something you haven’t told us?”

You sighed. “After Jake’s birthday we had… a moment.”

“A moment? What kind of a moment?” Maria interrogated. 

“We were having a deep conversation, and he was sitting next to me. And he was holding my hand while we were talking.”

“There’s more right?” Bob asked.

You nodded and took a deep breath. “Well, he held my face with his hand and told me he was really glad I was staying with him. And then I thought he was going to kiss me but then he kissed my forehead.”

“Awww” Maria cooed. “That is so sweet”

Phoenix rolled her eyes. “What the hell is wrong with him? I have never witnessed him have so much restraint.”

“Guys, I think we all should just accept that nothing it going to happen between me and him”

Phoenix shook her head. “Absolutley not. You just need to break him.”

“What do you mean?” you asked

“You need to tease him and wear him down until the respectable Jake disappears and he admits how he feels, and jumps your bones.”

“We need a plan,” Bob said.

The group fell silent as they all thought about the best way to get Jake to admit his feelings.

Maria gasped suddenly, “Guys, I know the perfect thing!”

“Ok, what is it?” you asked

“When do you get your casts off?” Maria asked

You thought for a moment to remember what the doctors had told you. “Um… my arm is going in a sling on friday and then next wednesday I am getting a boot for my leg”

Maria smiled, “On the Saturday after you get the boot off tell Jake that you want to go to the bar”

“The bar?” 

“Yes, the bar! It’s been forever since you’ve gone and you’ve been cooped up inside”

“True… but why the bar?” Maria smiled devilishly, “Because you’re going to wear a skimpy outfit and flirt with strangers”

“Yes!” Phoenix exclaimed. “That is perfect”

“That is awful! This is never going to work” you said.

Bob hummed before weighing in. “No, actually. I think they may be on to something. He gets very jealous when someone even looks your way”

“No he does not” you protested.

“Yes he does. Do you remember when we ran into him after going to the library?” Bob asked.

You thought back for a moment and remembered that night. You had run into him, causing you to trip, and he caught you and held you close. “Yes,” you said while blushing.

“That night, he was pretty tense and angry that I was with you. He didn’t relax until I told him about my date with Anne.”

“I remember hearing about that!” Phoenix said.

“TAG it is so obvious he likes you!” Maria exclaimed, “you just need to make him go crazy”

“And you all think that making him jealous will work?”

“Yes!” they all exclaimed in unison.

You sighed before agreeing to their ridiculous plan. That night, you and Jake went to his parents house for dinner. While you were there you asked his sisters if they would want to go shopping with you soon. They happily agreed to take you out shopping, and a date was set. 

Eventually, the day you were going out with his sisters rolled around. You told them you wanted to get some going out clothes but weren’t sure what was in style in Texas. They assured you that they knew the perfect store and drove you to the mall. 

The store they brought you to was indeed perfect. There were cowboy boots everywhere, some plain and some bejeweled. There was a good variety of clothes too. Some were very country looking while others were perfect for clubbing. You picked out some outfits you liked and his sisters handed you some clothes too. 

When you went into the fitting room you surprisingly liked everything and decided to get it all. You brought the clothes to the counter but noticed that Anna and Daphne were grinning like devils.

“What are you two smiling about?”

“Oh nothing,” Anna said.

Daphne laughed. “She’s lying. We were wondering if Jake was taking you on a date”

“Daphne! You’re the worst” Anna said.

You blushed for a moment. “No he isn’t taking me on a date. Why did you think that?”

Anna sighed. “He gave us his credit card and told us to make sure he paid for all of the clothes you buy”

“Oh” you exclaimed. “I can pay for everything. He doesn’t need to do that.”

“Too late. We already had the cashier ring everything up” Daphne said.

You shook your head and tried to hide your smile. These two girls were trouble, just like their brother. 

“Fine. But I’m not going to buy anymore stuff” you told them.

They reluctantly agreed to end the shopping trip and you all went home. As you looked over the outfits you picked out you began to feel excited. The clothes were much different from the uniform you usually wore, and even when you were off duty you were usually in comfortable clothes. This would be the first time in a while that you would get to dress up and have fun. Going to a bar with Jake would be fun, especially if it meant you would try and torment him. 

When you were back at Jake’s you laid out the clothes on your bed and snapped a photo to send to Maria, Phoenix, and Bob. Soon your phone was dinging rapidly. They all approved of your outfits and were sure that he would stop putting up a wall. You hoped that they were right, otherwise you were going to embarrass yourself and get your heart broken.

-

Two weeks after the mission ended you found yourself sitting with Jake at the San Diego International Airport. Although the two of you had grown much closer, the reality of the situation was kicking in. You would be living with Jake, for months while you healed. You had about a month and a half, maybe more before the casts on your leg and arm would be able to come off. You already were frustrated with your injuries and needing help, but with a broken leg and a broken arm in clunky casts, regular tasks were difficult. While you were in the hospital, Jake had doted on you and you knew that would only continue. As much as you appreciated how caring he was, it only added fuel to the raging fire that burned in your heart for him. 

It would be so hard to hide how you felt for him, to have him so close and not be able to have him. Jake noticed the way that you were digging your nails into your thigh with your free hand. He took hold of your hand and gave it a squeeze. To distract yourself you decided to ask him questions.

“So, you’re from San Antonio right?”

“Kinda,” he said. “I just tell people that if they aren’t from Texas, it’s easier”

You nodded your head and asked, “So where are you really from?”

“A little town about an hour away from there. It’s called Sunshine”

“Sunshine, Texas? Are you messing with me?” you laughed.

He shook his head and smiled. “No ma’am I am not. It really is called Sunshine.”

You smiled at the thought of little baby Jake running around in Sunshine, Texas. It was too perfect, too picturesque, and explained why he just told people he was from San Antonio.

One of the gate attendants made an announcement that priority boarding would be starting. Since you and Jake were on active duty that meant you would board first. He scanned your tickets and wheeled you to the door of the plane. He helped you stand up and slowly walk to your seats. 

“First class? Jake, I told you not to buy first class tickets!” you said as he helped you sit down in the window seat.

“Scold me later darlin’. I have to get our bags.”

He disappeared for a moment to grab your bags and the wheelchair from next to the plane’s entrance. After he stowed them away he sat next to you smirking. You shook your head and tried your best not to smile. You had a feeling you were going to get spoiled while you stayed with him, especially since you didn’t have much to bring. You only had a carry on as you packed light while you were deployed again. Luckily your friend Maria and her husband were able to find a babysitter long enough to pack up some more of your clothes and mail them to where Jake’s house was. Until your things arrived you would have to go out and buy whatever else you needed.

The two of you were quiet, a comfortable silence falling. Shortly after the plane leveled out you had fallen asleep. Jake leaned over and closed the window slightly to make it darker for you. It was still early in the morning and you were very tired. You looked so beautiful and he couldn’t help but watch your breath rise and fall. He let you sleep until the flight attendants came by offering cookies and water. Gently, he prodded you awake and handed you your cookies, which you happily ate. For the rest of the plane ride the two of you talked, enjoying each other’s company.

Before you knew it, you were off the plane and Jake was steering you through the crowds of people. You were glad that he knew his way around the San Antonio International Airport. It didn’t seem too confusing to navigate, but the business made it hard for you to see where to go. 

“Where are we meeting the uber?” you asked.

Jake didn’t say anything.

You craned your neck to look at him. “Jake?”

He looked down at you. “It’s not an uber”

“What do you mean?” “My parents are picking us up”

Your heart stopped at the thought of meeting his parents. Frantically, you grabbed your phone and pulled out the camera to try and fix your hair. You wanted them to have a good impression of you. Why am I freaking out? We aren’t even dating! 

Jake pulled the wheelchair and the luggage to the side. He walked so that he was facing you. “Why are you fixing your hair?”

Your face flushed as you said, “I like to look nice when I meet new people Jake”

“You do look nice. You’re beautiful”

Hearing him say you looked beautiful felt amazing. You couldn’t help but smile as your stomach flipped and your heart skipped a beat.

He walked back around and continued leading you both out of the airport as he said, “I’m the one who should be nervous. You’re the first girl I’ve brought home since… I think since highschool”

Before you could reply a blonde woman was shouting Jake’s name. 

“Jake? Is that you?”

“Hey mama” he said as he parked your wheelchair and gave her a hug.

“Here son, let me take your luggage” said an older man in cowboy boots. He had to be Jake’s dad. Besides the fact that his hair was brown he and Jake were almost identical.

“Thanks dad”

His mom brightly smiled at you and nudged Jake in the arm. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Jake nodded, “yes, sorry. Y/n, this is my mom, Sadie, and my dad, Charles. Mom, Dad, this is y/n. She’s a pilot too.”

His mom rolled his eyes, “Jacob. We know she’s a pilot too.” She turned her attention towards you and gave you a big hug. “We have heard so much about you. He never stops talking about you!”

“Mom,” Jake interrupted, hoping she wouldn’t reveal too much.

“I am so glad I finally get to meet you”

You laughed at her comment. “It’s nice to meet you too”

“Alright Sadie, we better get going. The truck is not parked legally” said Jake’s dad, Charles.

Jake wheeled you out and helped you into your seat in the back of the truck as his dad loaded the bags into the cab. He got into the back next to you and soon you were all on the road.

“So how was the flight?” Sadie asked.

“It was good,” Jake replied.

“Have you ever been to Texas y/n?” asked Charles.

You shook your head. “This is my first time”

“Oh how exciting!” Sadie exclaimed. “We’ll have to take her to a rodeo before the summer is over.”

Jake laughed, “that could be very fun”

“Are you two coming over for lunch?” 

Jake looked at you, signaling that the choice was yours. You nodded your head yes causing Jake to smile.

“Yeah we can come for a bit”

“Good,” Sadie said. 

For the rest of the hour-long car ride you all got to know each other. You learned that Jake’s two sisters, Anna, and Daphne were already cooking up a big lunch to celebrate Jake coming home. Anna’s husband, Greg, was grilling three kinds of meat. You also learned that Jake’s birthday was next week.

“What kind of cake do you want Jakey?” asked Sadie.

“I don’t need a cake,” he protested as his face got red.

“Nonsense! You need a cake!”

Jake sighed in defeat before replying that he wanted a carrot cake.

“Wouldn’t have pegged you for a carrot cake kind of guy” You teased him

He shrugged, “It’s a hidden gem.”

“I guess it is a hidden gem,” you laughed.

He looked at you with a bright smile, ‘I’m pretty good at finding them.” 

You smiled at his comment and looked down at your hands, the eye contact making you nervous. Does he mean me? In the front of the car, his parents exchanged knowing looks and smiles.

“Alright.” started Charles, “We have arrived.”

The car slowed and turned onto a long driveway. There were large trees along the drive, they were the kind of trees that were planted generations ago, for someone else to enjoy. A large ranch style house came into view. It was a rusty color, complemented by the copious bushes and flowers planted in the long. This house, the one where Jake grew up, was perfect. It was so unlike the tiny house in a crowded neighborhood that you and your grandfather lived in. 

“This is beautiful,” you said.

Sadie gave her gratitude as the car parked. Jake grabbed the wheelchair and helped you get into it. 

“Thank you,” you told him.

“Anything for you”

Charles shouted from the porch, “I set up a ramp to get up the porch’

“Perfect”

“I put one in your house too”

“Oh thanks dad, that’ll make things easier”

Jake carefully wheeled you up the porch and into the house. The second that you were inside his two sisters were in front of you

“Finally! I’m so happy you’re here!” said a short blonde woman.

“Daphne calm down, you’re going to scare the poor girl away!” Exclaimed the slightly older woman, who you assumed was Anna.

Daphne stepped back slightly, giving you some room. 

“I’m Anna, and this is Daphne, the crazy one”

“I am not crazy!” Daphne protested.

Anna laughed, “tell that to Jake’s girl! You accosted her!”

The words Jake’s girl rang in your ears as your heart quickened. You were beginning to think that maybe he felt the same. Maybe the reason his family was so excited to see you was because he told them he liked you. 

Those same words were also replaying in Jake’s head. He told his family how much he liked you, but he also told them not to tell you that. He was starting to panic and worry that they were going to tell you how much he loved you and ruin everything. 

“Anyways,” Jake said, trying to get his sisters to act like normal people. “Mom said that there would be lunch”

Anna nodded. “Yes, Greg is grilling up the last of it. Jake, why don’t you go and set the table while we get to know y/n!”

“Yes, Jake! Go do that” Daphne agreed as she pushed him towards the kitchen as Jake tried protesting.

“How about a house tour while we wait?” Anna suggested.

“Um… sure” you said.

You followed them as they showed you around the ranch. They stopped at Jake’s childhood room which had been left untouched since he moved out. The room was painted a slate grey with blue accents all over. Posters of airplanes and cowboys covered the walls. 

“So,” Daphne started. “How do you feel about staying with Jake?”

You turned towards her and said, “well I am a little nervous. But he’s a gentleman so I think it’ll be good”

Anna laughed. “A gentleman? That's the first time I’ve heard him described that way”

Before she could say anything more, Greg and Jake were calling them over to eat lunch. The food was delicious and you loved talking to Jake’s family. From the moment you met his parents and sisters you couldn’t help but envy him. Sure, you loved your grandfather, but Jake was so lucky to have parents and sisters who loved him. His family and life was beautiful. You already had feelings for Jake which were making your stay with him complicated, and now your love for his family added on to it. 

But you and Jake were both getting tired. So, after lunch the two decided to leave. Charles started up the truck so he could drive you to Jake’s house. After Jake helped you into the truck his sisters were calling him back to talk. 

When Jake walked back to where his two sisters were he knew they were going to talk to him about you. 

“We really like her, Jake. You better not mess this up” Daphne told him.

Jake shook his head. “She doesn’t see me that way, I told you all that already.” “Jake Seresin, are you blind?” Anna scoffed. “That girl is head over heels in love with you!”

He glanced back at the truck where you were sitting, scrolling on your phone. A sigh escaped his lips before he returned his gaze to Anna and Daphne.

“I don’t know,” he said.

“If you don’t tell her I will” Daphne said.

Jake’s eyes opened wide. “You can’t do that!”

“Why not?” Anna asked.

“Because she’s injured and she’s staying at my house! I don’t want her to think I’m taking care of her only because I want to get in her pants or something! What if she thinks I’m trying to take advantage of her? ”

Anna and Daphne shared a look. “I guess that's true,” Anna said.

“How about we make a deal?” Daphne asked.

“What is it?”

“If you don’t tell her once she's feeling better than I get to do it”

He let out a deep sigh as he looked at his shoes, skating his head. “I should say no”

“But you’re not going to,” Anna predicted.

Jake shook Daphne’s hand, thereby sealing their deal. He then hugged them goodbye and walked towards the truck. What did I just agree to? He thought to himself as the truck started moving down the road. From the moment you agreed to come home with him he had turned into a ball of nerves, and now that his sister was determined to tell you about how he felt, his stomach was doing backflips. He wanted you more than anything in the world, but he didn’t want you hearing that from someone else. If you were finally going to be his, he wanted it to happen the right way. 

From the passenger seat he glanced back to where you were sitting. You were looking out the window at the unfamiliar Texas landscape, your attention never wavering from the trees and the bushes. Even though he’d prefer to stare at your beautiful face forever, he turned away to look at the road. The short drive to his house was almost over, meaning that you two would be alone. He would have to keep his nerves and his lust for you at bay if he was going to make it. 

“Alright you two” Charles said as he pulled into Jake’s driveway. “We are here”

“Thanks for the ride” you said

“Oh no problem.” 

Once the truck was parked the two men hopped out. Charles began unloading the bags out of the truck. Jake grabbed your wheelchair and set it up as you carefully lowered yourself out of the truck with your good arm. His hand wrapped around the side of your waist to steady you. 

“Sorry my dad’s truck is so high up” he apologized as you were steadily standing on your good leg. His hand never left your waist and his head was bent towards yours. Your breath hitched in your throat at the closeness, and you didn’t know what to say. His gaze dropped from your eyes down to your parted lips. He gently squeezed your waist and then moved his hand to hold the small of your back which ever so slightly caused you to inch closer. The sound of the truck bed closing pulled you both away from each other. 

Jake coughed as you sat in the wheelchair and took a deep breath. He grabbed a few bags from his dad and then walked up the newly installed ramp to unlock the door. Jake walked back over to push you in the house. Just like his parents, Jake owned a ranch, but his was much smaller. However, unlike his parent’s house, it wasn’t very cozy. He didn’t own very much and it was very basic and bare. You were lucky enough to have been stationed at the base in North Carolina for a couple years, so your home was cozy and lived in. But Jake clearly was stationed in different places often and was rarely home. 

You felt bad for him. It was nice to have some stability, which was very rare for people in the military. But for someone like Jake, who had a family that adored him and was anxiously waiting for him to come home, it must be hard to constantly be gone. You pushed the thoughts away as Jake beckoned you to follow him to the guest room. 

His dad was already there setting down your carry on. He said goodbye to the both of you and left the house. 

“So this is the guest room” Jake said as he scratched the back of his neck. “I know it’s pretty small but-”

“It’s great Jake. I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me”

He smiled at you sweetly, like you were the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Because you were. His heart was beating out of his chest and every time he looked at you it got worse. You were the sun, the moon, and everything in between. 

“I’d do anything for you” he stated. He wasn’t saying this or doing all of this just to be nice or because he had some motive. Everything he was doing was simply because he wanted to take care of you. If you asked him to move a mountain he would do it without hesitation or complaint.

His words, which were said so matter-of-fact, made your stomach knot together. Your breaths became shallow under his warm gaze. He truly was too handsome and too kind for your own good. So unlike the cocky, and selfish pilot you met him as. 

He finally broke eye contact to show you the closet, as well as the rest of the house. His room was just a tiny walk down the hall. It was made clear that if you needed anything at all, he would get it. All you had to do was say his name and he’d be there by your side.

Once again, you thanked him, and he told you that he’d do it a thousand times over. Your face was burning hot when he told you that he was going to get changed and make some dinner. You decided to take a bath while you waited and used an old crutch Jake had found from when he was in high school to make your way to the bathroom. As you ran the bath, you unloaded your little toiletry bag and wrapped your casts in bags. Carefully you lowered yourself and took the time to relax and compose yourself before you would face him again. 

It had only been one day with him and already you knew you wouldn’t last. All you could think about was his smile, and his hair. But what kept your breath ragged and your heart quick was the way that he was so gentle and tender, the way his strong arms held you when you needed it. The way that his breath fanned against your neck earlier that day outside the truck. It was all too much, and you were sure you would burst into a million sparks. 

Jake went into the kitchen after he had changed into fresh clothing. He opened his fridge and cabinets and found groceries that his mother no doubt bought for him. As he grabbed ingredients to make tacos he made a mental note to text her a thank you note he heard the bath running from the bathroom. His eyes fluttered shut as he imagined you soaking in the tub with nothing but suds covering you. Gripping the counter to steady himself, he took a deep breath and cursed himself out. If he was going to do this the right way then he had to control the way the curves of your body made his mind wander. 

He was almost done with the tacos when the bathroom door opened. Quickly, he glanced over to see you carefully limping to the guest room in the tiniest shorts known to man. His jaw fell slack and it took him a few moments to remember his vow to be gentlemanly. 

“Are you all good?” he asked, trying to remember you were here because you were injured, not because he was going to ravage you.

You reached the door and told him you were all good and that you were just going to put away your clothes. He let you know that dinner would be done in about five minutes. This meant that he had five minutes to get his mind under control. He took deep breaths as he focused on warming up the soft taco shells. 

The noise of a chair loudly skidding across the kitchen floor told him that you were sitting down at the table. He set down everything needed to assemble the tacos on the table and then grabbed you both waters as you made yourself tacos. As you dug in you made the most delicious noise that Jake had ever heard in his life. 

“Mmm” you moaned. “This might just be one of the best tacos I have ever had in my life”

Jake clenched his jaw as he watched you lick your lips. “Why thank you darling”

You smiled at the nickname and felt butterflies. He took a bite of the food, hoping to distract himself from the fact that he would much rather be eating you. But absolutely nothing could get his mind off of everything he wanted to do with you.

This was going to be the hardest couple months of his life….